Arsenal winger suffers knee injury on England duty as Arteta’s crisis deepens

Credit: Getty Images

Arsenal’s injury concerns have intensified after Noni Madueke was forced off during England’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay at Wembley on Friday night, adding to Mikel Arteta’s growing list of absentees.

The Arsenal winger was forced off just past the half-hour mark following a heavy challenge from Rodrigo Aguirre, leaving the stadium with his left knee in a brace. Initially appearing to be a head injury, replays revealed his knee took the full force of the impact.

According to Arseblog, Madueke attempted to continue after receiving treatment but signalled to the bench minutes later that he could not carry on.

Arteta facing mounting injury crisis

The setback comes at a challenging time for Arsenal, with the manager already dealing with multiple absentees across his squad. Eberechi Eze, who missed the recent Carabao Cup final, is expected to remain sidelined for at least a month.

Mikel Merino faces a longer-term absence, while Martin Odegaard continues working his way back to full fitness. The international break has also seen William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Leandro Trossard and Jurrien Timber all withdraw from national team duty.

With Arsenal facing a demanding run-in across three competitions, Arteta now faces an anxious wait to discover the extent of Madueke’s injury and when his key players might return to action.

Mixed night for White

The evening proved eventful for Ben White, who returned to the England squad for the first time since the Qatar World Cup. The defender was booed by sections of the crowd upon his 69th-minute introduction and again after putting England ahead with nine minutes remaining.

Any redemption was short-lived, however, as White conceded a penalty in stoppage time after fouling Federico Valverde. The Uruguay midfielder converted following a VAR check to secure a 1-1 draw.

England return to action on Tuesday against Japan, when Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are expected to feature after being given a short break following Sunday’s defeat to Manchester City. Both players should see minutes in the upcoming fixture.

Arsenal will be hoping for no further injury complications as they prepare for the crucial final months of the season across domestic and European competitions.