Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was a dealt a significant blow last weekend after in-form summer signing Noni Madueke injured his knee in the 1-1 draw with Man City on Sunday, meaning he could now miss up to eight weeks.
Noni Madueke set to miss at least 10 Arsenal games after injury
The 23-year-old hadn’t managed a goal or assist in Gunners colours prior to his lay-off, but it’s safe to say Madueke has been Andrea Berta’s most impressive summer coup thus far alongside young defender Cristhian Mosquera.
While Mosquera seriously impressed in William Saliba’s absence, Madueke was being a menace for full-backs in the attacking areas – with his burst of pace, trickery and inventiveness in the final third showing exactly why Arsenal splashed £52 million on his signature.
There were huge question marks aimed at Arteta and Berta’s decision to sign the England international after a mixed spell at Chelsea, including from Gary Neville, but the Sky Sports pundit is now among critics to admit they were wrong.
“Madueke is a lot better than I imagined and thought he would be. And certainly a lot better than Arsenal fans thought he would be,” he said on the Gary Neville podcast earlier this month.
“A couple of runs that he made for England on Tuesday night were a different level, they’re runs I thought, ‘ooh’. They’re runs… Arjen Robben used to make those runs against me.
“His movement and the things that he’s doing are very, very good, and I’m talking from a full-back’s perspective playing against it.”
The ex-Eredivisie sensation could have hardly asked for a better start to life at the Emirates Stadium, putting the ‘#NotToMadueke’ movement firmly to rights, but he’s now set to miss a host of crucial games for Arsenal.
Madueke managed to avoid an ACL tear, which in itself is excellent news. However, the winger could be out for a maximum of two months and a minimum of six weeks, meaning he won’t be available for at least 10 games.
Port Vale (away)
September 24
Carabao Cup
Newcastle (away)
September 28
Premier League
Olympiacos (home)
October 1
Champions League
West Ham (home)
October 4
Premier League
Fulham (away)
October 18
Premier League
Atletico Madrid (home)
October 21
Champions League
Crystal Palace (home)
October 26
Premier League
Burnley (away)
November 1
Premier League
Slavia Prague (away)
November 4
Champions League
Sunderland (away)
November 8
Premier League
There is a chance Madueke will be back for the North London derby against Tottenham in November, and Arteta will be optimistic that is indeed the case as he seeks to end Arsenal’s two-decade-long wait for a Premier League title.
Arsenal also without Piero Hincapie after groin injury
Madueke isn’t the only summer signing with fitness issues either, with Arteta now confirming that defender Piero Hincapie has picked up a groin injury.
The Ecuador international was a surprise absentee from Arsenal’s matchday squad against City, and their manager has shared why.
“He picked up a little groin injury,” Arteta said in his pre-Port Vale press conference.
“We’ll have to assess him again in the next few days to see how he goes. There’s been a change of load, and he didn’t really have a pre-season after the surgery that he had. We’ll have to see in the next week or so how he is.”
The 23-year-old was signed with Mosquera as a quality back-up for Saliba and Gabriel, not to mention a defender who can play full-back as well.
Hincapie is highly-rated after two impressive seasons with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, and was a regular in Xabi Alonso’s famous, domestically unbeaten double-winning side from 2024.
“He’s not a flyer-up-the-wing kind of left-back. He likes to bring the ball out of the defence,” South American football expert Tim Vickery told Sky.
“I remember the first time I saw him in Ecuador, they threw him in as a teenager, and I had had my doubts. I thought too spindly, maybe, and he’s got mistakes in him. It’s been great to be proved wrong, because he’s grown and grown and really is a terrific defender.”
Hincapie has barely played since joining from Leverkusen on loan with a £45 million option to buy, so he’ll be looking to convince Berta he’s worthy of the purchase option at the earliest opportunity once fit and available.