Although the injury was initially thought to be minor, manager Mikel Arteta decided to rest him as a precaution, in the hope that Raya will be fit for Arsenal’s upcoming match against Leicester on Saturday.

Before the injury was confirmed, Arteta had acknowledged that Raya was doubtful for the Bolton match. “Let’s see how they are today and we’ll try to make a decision on that if it’s a possibility,” Arteta said when discussing the goalkeeper’s availability.

With Raya unavailable, Arsenal faced a potential goal crisis. Summer loanee Neto was cup-bound, having already played in the League Cup for Bournemouth. Meanwhile, the club’s recent signing Lucas Nygaard is still recovering from a broken thumb and is not yet fit for a match.

The situation led to Arteta naming 16-year-old Jack Porter as the starting goalkeeper. Porter, an England U17 international who trains with Arsenal’s first team, had only made a handful of appearances for the club’s U18s and U21s but was seen as the most viable option under the circumstances. He had already been on the bench for the Champions League match against Atalanta and travelled as an emergency keeper for the games against Tottenham and Manchester City.

Arsenal’s other young goalkeepers, 18-year-old Tommy Setford and Alexei Rojas, were also unavailable as Setford continued to recover from injury. Another option was Brian Okonkwo, the younger brother of former Gunner Arthur Okonkwo, who was on the bench for the U21s but could have been called up if needed.

Rojas was appointed as reserve goalkeeper on the bench.