Arsenal’s recent injury crisis has deepened, with star winger Noni Madueke reportedly set to miss up to two months of action after picking up an injury during the Gunners’ 1-1 Premier League draw against Manchester City on Sunday.
The 23-year-old England International was substituted at halftime of the highly anticipated match. He was replaced by Bukayo Saka, who was returning from his own injury.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed the issue, stating, “He had an issue very early in the match and he wasn’t well enough to continue.”
However, initial fears of a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear were thankfully avoided after Madueke underwent scans on Monday. The diagnosis still leaves a major hole in Arsenal’s lineup.
Since his £48 million summer transfer from Chelsea, Madueke has been an outstanding, what earned him starting four of the five Premier League matches and proving his versatility on both the left and right wings.
His impressive form also translated to the international stage, where he started both of England’s World Cup qualifiers in September and scored his first goal for his country in the win over Serbia.
A Growing List
Madueke’s injury adds another name to a growing list of sidelined attackers at the Emirates. He joins Kai Havertz, who is recovering from knee surgery, and Gabriel Jesus, who has been out since January with an ACL injury.
The Gunners are also without their captain, Martin Ødegaard, who missed the City match due to a shoulder injury, as did fellow summer signing Piero Hincapie.
Arteta acknowledged the challenges in his squad depth but highlighted the positive return of Saka. “Ødegaard wasn’t fit enough to be [on the bench], Piero as well, he’s out of the squad, but thankfully we have Bukayo back,” Arteta said. “That’s what we want, we have a strong bench.”
If the two-month timeline holds true, Madueke will miss several crucial fixtures, including the next two Champions League matches against Atletico Madrid and Slavia Praha. He could also be sidelined for up to six Premier League games and is at risk of missing the first highly anticipated North London Derby of the season against Tottenham in November.