Professional football in England could be on the brink of a major law change aimed at reducing time-wasting by goalkeepers. According to the draft, the sport is moving towards a trial in which a manager must temporarily lose one outfield player after a goalkeeper receives medical attention.

The measure comes after existing regulations were introduced to stop players using treatment as a way to slow the game down. Under those rules, any player treated on the pitch must wait 60 seconds on the touchline once play restarts. Goalkeepers, however, were still able to continue without a similar punishment. That gap is now set to be closed.

The new procedure would start once the referee has signaled for medical staff to treat a goalkeeper. From that point, the team manager would have 10 seconds to inform the fourth official which outfield player will leave the field for one minute after the restart. If no player is nominated in time, the captain is withdrawn instead. If the goalkeeper is also the captain, the nominated outfield player who was chosen to speak to the referee before the match would be removed.

The idea has been pushed forward amid concerns about goalkeepers using treatment breaks to allow managers to pass on instructions. BBC Sport reported that professional English football has volunteered to trial the measure, and the change still requires approval from IFAB, which oversees the laws of the game.

The first scheduled fixture to use it would be Tranmere Rovers vs. Rochdale in the Carabao Cup preliminary round on Saturday, Aug. 1, if permission arrives in time. The first Premier League match affected would be Arsenal’s opener against newly promoted Coventry City on Friday, Aug. 21, pending approval.

The rule would also extend beyond the Premier League to the Women’s Super League, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup, the EFL Championship, League One, League Two and the National League. The draft also says the Australian top flight is expected to act as a global test case, although its version would automatically remove the captain. No similar trial has been taken up by La Liga, the Bundesliga, Serie A or Ligue 1, and it would not apply in the Champions League.

Arsenal’s academy continues to produce players who believe there is a route into Mikel Arteta’s senior squad, and next season could present another opening for several of them.

Arteta has already shown that he is prepared to trust young talent, with Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri standing as recent examples of graduates who have been given a platform to develop at first-team level.

Max Dowman may already have completed his first breakthrough year. He made 13 first-team appearances in 2025/26, broke records and became a regular talking point, although his minutes were handled carefully because of his age. At 16, he was eased into the side rather than overexposed, but 2026/27 could be the season when he moves from useful substitute to genuine star.

Arsenal’s commitments across four competitions should create room for him. The domestic cups look likely to offer him starts, while he has already shown that he can contribute in the Premier League and the Champions League. Dowman’s ability to operate on the right wing or as an attacking midfielder is another advantage, especially with competition for places expected to remain high.

Marli Salmon also took early steps in senior football last season, making four appearances across the Champions League and FA Cup. The 16-year-old centre back did not attract the same level of attention as Dowman, but his rise into the senior group remains notable. Arsenal, though, are well stocked in central defence, with Gabriel, Piero Hincapié, Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera all options, while Ben White and Jurriën Timber can also play there. That makes regular opportunities difficult to secure.

Andre Harriman-Annous offers a different profile. The 18-year-old has impressed as both a centre forward and wide player in the academy, and his record of 10 goals and two assists for the Under-21s underlines his productivity. He has pace, direct running and a finishing touch, though he may still need added muscle before stepping up fully. Arteta used him twice last season in the FA Cup and Champions League.

Louie Copley, meanwhile, is yet to debut for Arsenal but already has senior experience after nine appearances on loan with Crawley Town in League Two, where he started eight games and set up one goal. Evan Mooney has only recently arrived, having joined from St Mirren after 23 appearances and a Scottish League Cup win in Scotland, and he has settled quickly south of the border.

Arsenal’s search for greater threat on the left flank has taken them into rare territory, with Vinícius Júnior now viewed as the most ambitious answer to a long-running issue. The club have already brought in Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge to cover for the departure of Leandro Trossard, yet the pursuit of another wide attacker suggests the work in that area is not finished. Before Morgan Rogers moved to London neighbours Chelsea, Arsenal had also considered him for the same role.

A move for Vinícius Jr is still only at an early stage, and Real Madrid are understood to be reluctant to part with him. Even so, the 26-year-old is into the final year of his contract and talks are at a standstill, leaving his future uncertain. That makes this summer the most realistic opening Arsenal may get if they want to test the scale of the deal.

Tactically, the fit is obvious. Vinícius Jr would take over the left wing immediately, regardless of Tzolis’s arrival. His game is built on staying wide, isolating full-backs and driving at them, then either reaching the byline or cutting inside onto his stronger right foot to shoot or slip a pass into the box. Arsenal have lacked consistent production from that side for much of 2025-26, with Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli combining for only seven league goals. Eberechi Eze also spent time there, but he is most effective centrally.

Arsenal’s attack has largely leaned to the right, where Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard are usually the main reference points. Vinícius Jr on the opposite side would change that balance at once, forcing defenders to respect both flanks. He would also offer a major solution against deep defensive blocks through his dribbling, close control and ability to beat multiple opponents alone.

There is also value in his combination play and his threat in transition, both of which suit Arsenal’s style. The drawback is his limited defensive work, but the club’s strong defensive base would help cover that. The biggest losers would be Gabriel Martinelli and Tzolis, with the latter likely reduced to backup duty if the move ever happened.