Arsenal attacker Noni Madueke is expected to be sidelined for around two months with a knee injury but has avoided anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage, according to The Athletic journalist David Ornstein.
The Gunners summer signing sustained the knock in the first-half of the 1-1 draw against Manchester City on Sunday and was replaced at half-time.
Reports emerged on Monday that there were fears Madueke had damaged his ACL, but scans have shown that is not the case.
While Arsenal will be pleased with the news, being without such a key attacker for up to eight weeks is still a huge blow for manager Mikel Arteta.
The 23-year-old has started five of the six games he has featured in across all competitions since moving to the North London club from Chelsea.
Madueke joins Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus on the treatment table.
While Arsenal have quality depth in attack, injuries to key players very early into a new campaign are not what they need right now.
Arteta has other options on the wings, but Max Dowman could be the greatest beneficiary of the absence of Madueke.
The 15-year-old has played twice in the Premier League this term, coming off the bench against Leeds United and Liverpool.
He is likely to start against Port Vale tomorrow in the Carabao Cup, but more minutes in the Premier League could be on the cards for him following the latest injury blow at Arsenal.
The Gunners are back in league action on Sunday with a trip to St James’ Park to take on Newcastle United, and the game tomorrow would give some of the fringe attackers the chance to impress ahead of the weekend.
Arsenal have started 2025-26 well but cannot afford any more major injuries going forward despite their squad depth across all departments.
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