Noni Madueke injury confirmed, faces two months out in major Arsenal setback | OneFootball

Arsenal winger Noni Madueke is set for up to two months on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City.

The 23-year-old started the game at the Emirates Stadium but was withdrawn at half-time, with Bukayo Saka coming on in his place. Manager Mikel Arteta revealed afterwards that Madueke had been struggling from the opening stages.

“He had an issue very early in the match and he wasn’t well enough to continue,” Arteta explained following the final whistle.

Scans carried out on Monday confirmed that the winger has avoided serious anterior cruciate ligament damage, but the setback will still see him miss a significant run of fixtures for both club and country.

Madueke’s absence could amount to around 14 matches across competitions. He will be unavailable for Arsenal’s Carabao Cup tie against Port Vale this week, as well as Premier League clashes with Newcastle United, West Ham United and Fulham.

He is also expected to miss Champions League games against Olympiacos and Atletico Madrid, in addition to three World Cup qualifiers and a friendly for England.

The timeline for his return places the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on 23 November as a potential comeback date. Arsenal face Bayern Munich and Chelsea in quick succession after that, in what could be a pivotal week in their campaign.

Madueke joined Arsenal from Chelsea in the summer in a £48.5 million deal and has featured in all six of the club’s matches so far this season.

He impressed when stepping in for the injured Saka, particularly in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, and his absence leaves Arteta with another selection problem.

The injury is another blow to Arsenal’s attacking options, with Kai Havertz still sidelined following knee surgery in August and Gabriel Jesus continuing his recovery from an ACL tear sustained in January. Summer signing Viktor Gyokeres is the only fit recognised striker in the squad.

Arsenal have also been without captain Martin Odegaard, who is nursing a shoulder problem, though the Norwegian midfielder is expected to return sooner than his attacking teammates.

Injuries hampered Arsenal’s bid for silverware last season, and Arteta will hope his squad can absorb another setback.

The immediate challenge will be balancing minutes for Saka, who only recently returned from a hamstring problem, while ensuring cover on the right flank in Madueke’s absence.