Arsenal winger Noni Madueke is expected to miss between six and eight weeks after sustaining a knee injury during Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw against Manchester City.
The 23-year-old was withdrawn at half-time and has since undergone scans to assess the extent of the damage.
While initial fears of a serious anterior cruciate ligament problem have been eased, medical staff are still waiting for the swelling around the joint to reduce before confirming a final diagnosis.
Even in the best-case scenario, Madueke will be unavailable for at least six weeks, keeping him out of action until November.
The summer signing from Chelsea had made a bright start to life at the Emirates, quickly becoming an important figure for Mikel Arteta’s side.
His absence is therefore a significant setback for both Arsenal and England manager Thomas Tuchel, who had been impressed by the winger’s early-season form.
Should the timeline hold, Madueke will miss several key fixtures across domestic and European competitions.
Arsenal face crucial Premier League clashes as well as Champions League group stage games during his spell on the sidelines.
On the international stage, he will sit out England’s upcoming fixtures against Wales and Latvia and remains doubtful for World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania in mid-November.
Arsenal are scheduled to meet Sunderland on 8 November, a match that is likely to come too soon for the recovering attacker.
The north London derby against Tottenham on 23 November has been tentatively marked as a potential return date, though much will depend on his rehabilitation progress.
For now, Arteta must reshuffle his attacking options as the Gunners seek to maintain momentum without one of their most dynamic summer recruits.
Noni Madueke joins Bukayo Saka , Martin Odeggard, William Saliba as key players who are on the treatment table .
