Arsenal Concern Grows as Noni Madueke Leaves England Match Wearing Knee Brace

Arsenal are facing fresh injury concerns after Noni Madueke was seen wearing a knee brace following England’s 1–1 draw with Uruguay at Wembley Stadium on Friday.

The 24-year-old winger was forced off in the 38th minute of the international friendly after appearing to sustain a knee problem earlier in the first half. The issue first arose when Madueke attempted to drive into Uruguay’s penalty area from the right flank, only to be halted by a challenge from Rodrigo Aguirre.

The incident prompted brief penalty appeals, which were waved away by the referee. Although Madueke initially continued after receiving treatment on the pitch, he was soon unable to carry on and went down again, leading to his substitution. He was replaced by West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen.

The extent of the injury remains unclear, but Madueke was later seen leaving Wembley with a knee brace, raising concerns for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

The development adds to an already growing list of injury worries for the Gunners during the international break. Several key players, including Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurriën Timber and Martin Ødegaard, were unavailable for their respective national teams, and Madueke’s situation further compounds the issue.

Madueke had been the only Arsenal player named in Thomas Tuchel’s starting line-up against Uruguay, as England continue their preparations for this summer’s FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

There was, however, a positive moment for Arsenal as defender Ben White marked his return to international football with a goal off the bench — his first for England since 2022. The goal initially looked set to secure victory before Uruguay were awarded a late penalty, resulting in an equaliser.

England manager Thomas Tuchel reflected on White’s performance, acknowledging both his impact and the late setback.

“It felt almost too good to be true when he scored what looked like the winner,” Tuchel said. “In the end, perhaps he was a little too aggressive in his defending, although I do not believe it was a penalty. It would have been pleasing to keep a clean sheet and secure another win, but it does not change my opinion of him.”

Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were absent from the squad, as Tuchel used the fixture to assess a wider pool of players ahead of the tournament.

England will return to action on Tuesday with a friendly against Japan, before concluding their preparations with a final warm-up match against Costa Rica in June, as they build towards the World Cup in North America.