Arsenal winger Noni Madueke is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks after sustaining a knee injury during Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old was forced off at half-time at the Emirates and has since undergone initial testing to assess the extent of the problem. While early fears of a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury appear to have been ruled out, club sources suggest he will miss a minimum of six weeks, with eight weeks being a more cautious estimate.
Madueke, who joined Arsenal from Chelsea in the summer, had impressed in the early stages of the season. The setback is a blow for both Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and England head coach Thomas Tuchel, who had included the winger in recent international squads.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Arteta confirmed that the player is facing a spell on the sidelines, but said the club is still awaiting a clearer picture.
“It looks like Noni is going to be out for a few weeks, but we don’t really know yet,” Arteta said. “We will have to scan him again next week. He felt something at the beginning of the match and tried to carry on, but it was too sore, so let’s see.”
When asked if the injury would rule Madueke out for weeks rather than months, Arteta replied:
“We hope so. Like I said, we need to scan him again to see the extent of the injury, but it doesn’t look too bad.”
Medical staff are reportedly waiting for the swelling in the knee to reduce before making a definitive diagnosis. As it stands, Madueke is not expected to return before November, meaning he will miss several key fixtures both domestically and in Europe.
He is certain to sit out Arsenal’s third-round Carabao Cup clash against Port Vale on Wednesday, as well as upcoming Premier League fixtures and Champions League group-stage matches. On the international front, Madueke will be unavailable for England’s games against Wales and Latvia, and remains doubtful for the mid-November World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.
Should his recovery follow the projected timeline, Madueke could return in time for the high-profile north London derby against Tottenham on November 23. Arsenal also face Sunderland on November 8, a fixture he is likely to miss along with the subsequent international break.
