Update : Noni Madueke: Arsenal forward set to be sidelined with knee injury in latest setback for Mikel Arteta’s forward line

Noni Madueke suffered injury in draw with Manchester City; the winger joins Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz on the sidelines as Arsenal’s injury count rivals number of goals their forwards have scored since March

 

Image:Noni Madueke is set for a spell on the sidelines with a knee injury

Mikel Arteta is set to provide an update on Noni Madueke later today amid reports the winger will be ruled out for two months with a knee injury.

Madueke’s setback, suffered in the first half of Sunday’s draw with Manchester City, means Arsenal have picked up at least one injury in every league game so far this season.

The loss of Madueke would also bring the total number of injuries suffered by Arsenal forwards in the last nine months to 12.

Arsenal’s injury setbacks during that time include:

Bukayo Saka tearing his hamstring at Crystal Palace in late December before then injuring his other hamstring in the second game of this season.

Losing Gabriel Jesus to a long-term knee injury that means the Brazilian is likely to only play for two weeks in the whole of 2025.

Two different serious injuries to Kai Havertz reducing his contribution to less than 45 minutes of Premier League football in the last six months, with the German also unlikely to return before November.

A hamstring injury to Gabriel Martinelli that saw him sit out a month between February and March along with Saka, Havertz and Jesus.

Captain Martin Odegaard twice being forced out of games this season with a shoulder problem.

The tally of 12 injuries in 2025 is equal to the number of goals that Arsenal’s forwards have scored since March.

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta were widely criticised for their perceived caution this weekend in the draw against Manchester City.

But the Palace game is also significant for marking the last occasion when Arteta had his full complement of forwards available for selection, with the Arsenal boss shoehorning all of them into the starting XI by playing Havertz in midfield ahead of the benched Declan Rice. Arsenal won the game 5-1 with Havertz, Jesus and Martinelli all on the scoresheet.

Gary Neville thinks Arsenal can’t win the title by playing safe, urging Mikel Arteta to start his best attackers and

Is the criticism of Arteta fair?

Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz after Arsenal’s draw with Man City:

Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane criticised Arsenal for being short in creativity, especially from open play. That may be a little harsh given the Gunners scored one from open play against Man City on Sunday, two against Athletic Club and three against Leeds.

However, Arsenal have got themselves stuck at some point in most games this season. They needed substitutes to come off the bench against Athletic and City to save them, a set-piece to beat Manchester United, and even in the two home wins over Leeds and Nottingham Forest, they looked short of ideas for half an hour.

For at least a third of every game, Arsenal have been unconvincing. On the opposite side of the coin, so have league leaders Liverpool. But there is a difference – one team has 15 points, the other is five further back.

In three out of the last four games, Arteta has not helped himself with a conservative midfield selection. Arsenal have now played 10 Premier League games with Merino and Rice both playing in midfield. They have won just once, and that was against relegated Ipswich Town.

Surely that is enough for Arteta to change the system? Maybe start Eze if Odegaard is out injured, or even Ethan Nwaneri, who deputised well for the Arsenal captain in the games against Leeds and Forest?

Arsenal 1-1 Man City: Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher accuse Mikel Arteta of having handbrake on while Roy Keane feels he is defensive mindedSky Sports