Mikel Arteta Arsenal
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Noni Madueke will undergo further scans next week to assess the severity of his knee injury. Initial examinations suggest that the England international could be sidelined for approximately six to eight weeks. This development comes as Arsenal prepares for their upcoming Carabao Cup fixture against Port Vale. In addition to Madueke, Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapie is also dealing with a groin issue, further complicating Arsenal’s squad selection.
Mikel Arteta said: “Yeah, he’s going to be out for a few weeks. We don’t really know yet, probably we’re going to have to do a scan next week again. He felt something at the beginning of the match, he tried to carry on and half-time he was too sore, so that’s it.”
When quizzed on whether Madueke will be sidelined for weeks rather than a number of months, Arteta added: “We hope so. As I said, we need to scan him again to see the real extent of the injury, but it doesn’t look too bad.”
Arteta continued: “He was gutted, obviously. Very disappointing to see him because he was in such a good state. He looked a real threat. He was getting some consistency, some flow now into the team, and he looked like a real threat, so it’s a big miss for us.”
Regarding Piero Hincapie, Arteta mentioned: “We have to again assess him in the next few days how he goes. There’s been a change of load and he didn’t really have a pre-season after the injury.”
On the topic of Kai Havertz, Arteta stated: “No, no surgery. He’s totally fine. Well, with Kai we know that it will be months with him. I don’t know if he can be weeks. You never know because this is Kai and he’s a different specimen.”
The absence of Noni Madueke is a significant blow to Arsenal, as the 23-year-old winger had been making a noticeable impact on the flanks, even scoring for England against Serbia. His injury disrupts the momentum he was building within the team. Meanwhile, Piero Hincapie’s groin issue adds to Arsenal’s defensive concerns, as the Ecuador international was previously left out of the squad against City. Arteta’s comments suggest that while surgery is not required for Hincapie, his return will depend on how he responds to the adjusted training load.
As for Kai Havertz, Arteta’s remarks indicate that the German midfielder’s recovery will take several months, underscoring the challenges Arsenal faces in maintaining squad depth amidst these injuries. The manager’s updates highlight the ongoing evaluation process for each player, emphasizing the need for careful management to ensure long-term recovery and performance.
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