Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has explained that 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri is not permitted to prepare for matches in the senior dressing room due to safeguarding regulations.

Despite enjoying a breakout season with impressive performances across the Premier League, Champions League, and Carabao Cup, Nwaneri must adhere to rules that require players to be 18 or older to share a dressing room with the senior squad.

Arteta highlighted how the rules affect Nwaneri’s matchday preparations. “Ethan cannot be in our dressing room still, which is unbelievable. He needs to get dressed somewhere else, even on match day,” Arteta said.

The manager also spoke about the bond between Nwaneri and fellow young talent Myles Lewis-Skelly. “When you see those two walking next to each other, talking to each other, there is a bond there and a chemistry there,” he remarked.

Arteta added, “I imagine for them it is special because at the moment they are still in different dressing rooms [at the training ground]. So to have somebody close to him that has that trust, that confidence, that link, I think it is lucky. They are very lucky to have each other.”

As Nwaneri continues his development under Arteta, the safeguarding restrictions are a reminder of his youthful age despite his rapid rise in professional football.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Dragusin is set to miss the remainder of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee during the club’s Europa League clash against Elfsborg.

The 23-year-old will undergo surgery and is expected to be out for at least six months, with recovery timelines for ACL injuries sometimes extending up to a year.

In a statement, Tottenham confirmed that Dragusin “will be assessed by our medical team to determine when he can return to training.”

Having started 21 of Tottenham’s past 23 matches, Dragusin has been a vital part of the defense since his arrival from Genoa in January 2024 for £25 million.

The Romania international expressed determination to bounce back stronger, writing on Instagram:

“Football doesn’t just teach you how to win – it teaches you how to fight when things get tough.”

Dragusin joins a growing list of sidelined Tottenham players, including Destiny Udogie, Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, and Cristian Romero.

To bolster their defensive options, Spurs recently signed Austrian defender Kevin Danso on loan with a £21 million purchase option. Additionally, the club’s £70 million bid for England defender Marc Guehi was rejected by Crystal Palace, though they secured 19-year-old attacker Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed disappointment over the club’s failure to strengthen their squad during the winter transfer window but commended the management’s disciplined approach to player recruitment.

The Gunners were linked with potential attacking reinforcements following Gabriel Jesus’ season-ending ACL injury and the continued absence of Bukayo Saka due to a hamstring issue. However, no deals materialized before the window closed.

Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle on Wednesday, Arteta stated:

“We had a clear intention which is always when a window opens to explore the opportunities to improve our squad with players that can make an impact.

“With players injured, we’ve been impacted and we haven’t achieved it. We are disappointed in that sense but as well we are very aware that we only want to bring certain kinds of players and we have to be very disciplined with that as well. I think that we were.”

Despite the challenges, Arteta emphasized the importance of staying true to Arsenal’s recruitment philosophy.

“It’s in the profile, a player that we believe can make us much better. Financially there is a lot of ways, a lot of things that we must stay in the lane that has taken us this far and from there try to improve.”

Arsenal face a difficult task in Wednesday’s semi-final after a 2-0 defeat in the first leg against Newcastle.