Noni Madueke leaves Wembley with knee brace after injury
Noni Madueke was spotted leaving Wembley Stadium with a brace fitted around his left knee following England’s Friday night fixture against Uruguay, reports BritPanorama.
The Arsenal attacker sustained the injury during the first half of the 1-1 draw and was seen hobbling through the mixed zone after the match with the protective support clearly visible.
The 24-year-old is expected to withdraw from Thomas Tuchel’s squad ahead of Tuesday’s friendly against Japan and return to Arsenal’s London Colney training base instead. His early departure from the international camp is a significant setback; the former Chelsea player had been hoping to strengthen his case for World Cup selection.
The injury occurred in the 33rd minute as Madueke attempted to drive into the Uruguayan penalty area. After cutting inside and preparing to shoot, he was challenged by defender Rodrigo Aguirre, who won the ball but followed through heavily into the Arsenal player. Madueke collapsed to the turf following the impact and required extensive attention from England’s medical staff before eventually rising to his feet.
While claims for a foul were minimal from the home side, the match official allowed play to continue. Despite his determination to carry on, Madueke’s efforts proved futile as he went down again shortly after without any contact from an opponent. He signalled to the physios that he could not continue and requested a substitution; West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen came on in the 38th minute. Madueke was assisted from the pitch and proceeded directly down the tunnel towards the dressing room.
His departure without even passing the substitutes’ bench has raised concerns for both Tuchel and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, especially as he compounds an ongoing challenge for the manager, who had already faced the absence of six players unavailable for international duty during the current break.
Madueke’s fitness concern now raises doubts over his availability for Arsenal’s FA Cup quarter-final clash with Southampton on April 4. The timing is particularly unfortunate for the Spanish manager, as the north London side is currently pursuing a potential trophy treble, leading the Premier League and maintaining strong positions in both the FA Cup and the Champions League.
