Noni Madueke can send Arsenal message with major chance in Bukayo Saka battle | OneFootball

Saka’s absence against Uruguay hands Madueke opportunity to stake claim for England starting role at World Cup

It is just as well that Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka like each other.

He is competing with Saka to start on the right wing for Arsenal and he is in a similar battle, along with others, for that spot in the England side.

"There are bits of his game that I try to take and I think there are bits of mine that he tries to take as well.

Madueke is in line to start tonight for England against Uruguay and he has a major chance to present his case with this summer's World Cup fast coming into view.

Saka is among the group of England players to have been given a rest for the match and will join up with the squad for next week's clash with Japan.

Saka will not be involved for England against Uruguay, but Madueke is in line to start

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There is a decent chance that Madueke might have started even if Saka was available. By the lofty standards he has set in recent years, Saka's season has been a quiet one and he has struggled for form.

With Thomas Tuchel seeing Cole Palmer's best position as No10 and Jarrod Bowen not being quite so prolific for West Ham this season, the opportunity is there for Madueke to grab the shirt.

He has described Mikel Arteta and Tuchel as being similarly "ruthless". The German is particularly so and that could be to Madueke's benefit.

Tuchel has had no issue in making Trent Alexander-Arnold effectively his seventh-choice right-back. In October, he decided not to call up Jude Bellingham and handed the No10 role to Morgan Rogers instead.

While Arteta has an understandable loyalty to Saka, who often captains Arsenal in the absence of Martin Odegaard, it does feel like more of a straight fight for England.

Particularly so after Madueke has already impressed Tuchel. The best result of his England reign came in September when Serbia were thrashed 5-0 in Belgrade and Madueke was superb that night.

"It's sometimes difficult because he competes with the very best," Tuchel said.

"He himself can be one of the very best. I believe that we saw the best version of him in June, where we had a difficult camp but he was maybe our best player in Andorra.

While Arteta has an understandable loyalty to Saka, it does feel like more of a straight fight with Madueke for England

"He had a very strong camp in September, an outstanding match against Serbia.

"Then he had quite a tricky injury and Bukayo took over for Arsenal and Bukayo took over for us. They're fighting for it."

Tuchel wants his wide players to be fast and direct and Madueke offers that, perhaps even more so than Saka. After that win over Serbia, Tuchel also praised Madueke's work rate off the ball.

A knee injury ruled the winger out of the October and November camps just as he was establishing himself as one of Tuchel's favourites.

Madueke has the chance to make up for lost time in an England shirt now. Doing that would also send a timely message to Arteta.