Madueke Injury Blow: Arsenal Star Out for Up to 8 Weeks

Arsenal’s Noni Madueke Sidelined for 6–8 Weeks

Injury Timeline & Diagnosis

Arsenal winger Noni Madueke is expected to be out for six to eight weeks following a knee injury sustained during the 1-1 draw against Manchester City on Sunday. While the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is reportedly not damaged, the injury will sideline the 23-year-old England international until mid-to-late November at the earliest.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stated:

“He felt something at the beginning of the match and tried to carry on but it was too sore… We hope it’s not serious, but we’ll scan him again next week.”

Sources indicate team medics are waiting for swelling to subside before confirming the full extent of the injury. However, six weeks is currently considered the best-case scenario.

Matches Madueke Will Miss

Assuming a mid-November return, Madueke is set to miss:

• Carabao Cup vs Port Vale (Sept 18)

• UEFA Group Stage Matches

• England fixtures vs Wales and Latvia

• Premier League matches vs Sunderland (Nov 8)

• World Cup Qualifiers vs Serbia and Albania (mid-Nov)

A return for the North London Derby vs Tottenham on Nov 23 is the target comeback fixture.

This is a major blow to both Arteta and England coach Thomas Tuchel, as Madueke had been enjoying a promising start to the season following his summer move from Chelsea.

Arteta Responds to ‘Handbrake’ Tactics Criticism

After the Manchester City draw, Arteta faced media scrutiny for perceived cautious tactics. Jamie Carragher compared his approach to “handbrake football”, citing the surprise benching of Eberechi Eze despite Martin Ødegaard’s absence.

Arteta responded:

“If we’re talking about dominance, how can you be dominant with a handbrake on? It’s impossible. We dominated City like no team has done in 17 years under Pep.”

Arsenal had 53% possession, more shots (11–7) and outpassed City, but failed to secure victory despite a strong performance.

Squad Depth Now Tested

With Madueke injured, and Eze used sparingly, Arteta may need to adjust his attacking trio for the upcoming fixtures. Possible changes include:

• Gabriel Jesus shifting wide

• Reiss Nelson or Leandro Trossard stepping up

• Bukayo Saka playing on his weaker wing

The next few weeks will test Arsenal’s depth as they balance Premier League, Carabao Cup, and European fixtures.