At A Glance:
- Noni Madueke was substituted in England’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay with a knee injury.
- An injury expert has now predicted how long he will be sidelined for.
- The winger’s spot at the 2026 World Cup is now heavily at risk.
Still in three competitions, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are looking to win as many trophies as possible this season – but his injury list is mounting and Noni Madueke was recently added to it.
The Englishman, who is 24 years of age, arrived from Chelsea in a deal worth £52 million in the summer of 2025.
In 2025/26 alone, Madueke has played 31 times for the Gunners, notching seven goals and four assists in the process. He could now be set for an extended period on the sidelines.
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In England’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay on Friday night, Madueke picked up an injury in the 38th minute and was replaced by Jarrod Bowen after a reckless challenge from Rodrigo Aguirre.
Injury expert predicts extent of Noni Madueke’s knee issue
With an FA Cup tie with Southampton on the horizon, the fact that Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka have both withdrawn from England duty means that Arteta will be sweating over his players’ availability.
A spot in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad on the line, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur youth star started on the right flank – but his day was cut short in the first half of England’s stale 1-1 draw.
Footage of the wide man limping off in a knee brace emerged after the Wembley-based encounter and an injury expert has now predicted how long he could be out for.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), @physioscout insisted that Madueke’s landing is what is worrying – rather than the contact from the Uruguayan striker.
“My worry is more so the landing than the initial contact with the Uruguay player. High velocity driving the knee into valgus force brings concern for an MCL injury,” he wrote.
“Knee brace usually indicated when instability is present. He’ll need to wear a brace for a few weeks if confirmed to be a ligamentous injury.”
The expert’s prediction is that Noni Madueke has picked up an MCL injury – which has a recovery period of one to eight weeks. They then continued:
“Other possible diagnoses are a bony contusion and a lower-grade PCL injury here which usually facilitate a quick recovery. But more likely an MCL injury here. Further diagnostic tests will be needed to determine the extent of the injury.”
Now that he is returned to Arsenal, the 24-year-old faces a race against time to have any say in the club’s final 2025/26 run.
Thomas Tuchel on Madueke’s injury
The timing of Madueke’s injury couldn’t be worse. Not only are the Gunners in the final stretch of the season – with the fixtures coming thick and fast – but his England chances are also dwindling.
“I’m worried, of course, because I think he was a difference-maker today [against Uruguay]. He started well, he was full of energy, he was ready to go.
“And I think against a team like Uruguay, who relies on one-against-ones, to isolate them there and to in one-against-ones from every minute out there, the spaces open up and he could have been a key player for us, which he is. Very sad and upset and hopefully it’s not a big injury.”
Noni Madueke, at the time of writing, has ten caps – and the singular England goal – on his record. Whether that’ll be enough to convince Tuchel remains to be seen.
He has the likes of Bukayo Saka and Bowen (who replaced him in the Uruguay match) to compete with on the right flank and maybe his injury will rule him out of a space on the plane.
