Injury setback! Arsenals Noni Madueke sidelined for 6-8 weeks
Arsenal's Noni Madueke is sidelined for almost two months with a knee injury, a major setback for Mikel Arteta as key domestic and European fixtures loom.
New Delhi: Arsenal have been dealt a major blow with Noni Madueke expected to spend the next six to eight weeks on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury in the 1-1 draw against Manchester City. The 23-year-old limped off at half-time on Sunday and has since undergone scans with club medics waiting for swelling to ease before confirming the full extent of damage.
The good news for the Gunners is that the early signs suggest the problem is not an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Still, the initial prognosis leaves Madueke out of action until at least mid-November, ruling him out of a string of key fixtures in both domestic and European competition.
The timing of the injury is particularly frustrating for Mikel Arteta, who had watched Madueke make a promising start since his summer move from Chelsea. The £48 million signing quickly settled into life in north London, starting four of the club’s opening five Premier League matches and scoring his first England goal in September during World Cup qualifying.
Arsenal's injury pile-up
Madueke's absence adds to a growing list of problems for Arteta. Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus are already unavailable while Bukayo Saka has only just returned from a hamstring injury. Saka was thrust back into action against City in place of Madueke though Arteta will be wary of overloading him too soon.
With options thinning out, Arsenal could turn to Gabriel Martinelli who holds the experience operating on the right or even hand more minutes to 15-year-old Max Dowman. The teenager has already been given brief cameos against Leeds and Liverpool and may find himself pushed further into the spotlight if the squad’s injury issues persist.
This is far from the first time injuries have disrupted Arsenal's momentum. Last season, a similar spate of setbacks derailed their push for silverware, and Arteta will be determined to avoid a repeat with the club competing on multiple fronts.
What next for Gunners?
If Madueke is out for the full eight weeks, he will miss Champions League clashes against Atletico Madrid and Slavia Praha as well as up to six league matches. The fixtures at this time includes a meeting with Sunderland on 8 November and potentially the north London derby against Tottenham on 23 November. Beyond that the Gunners will face Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Brentford and Aston Villa in a packed schedule leading into December.
The injury also comes as a setback for England as it makes Thomas Tuchel to change his plans. Madueke had broken into the national team with real promise, scoring against Serbia in September. He will now sit out the upcoming fixtures against Wales and Latvia and remains doubtful for the November qualifiers.
Madueke's layoff is a crucial twist just as he was beginning to establish himself for club and country. For Arsenal, the challenge will be to keep pace in the league and in Europe without one of their most dynamic new additions and managing workloads to avoid further injuries will be critical in the weeks ahead.