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Noni Madueke was seen leaving the recent England friendly against Uruguay with a brace. This was cause for concern, but according to a recent article from The Athletic, the former PSV winger's injury is not expected to be serious.
It is believed that Madueke is doubtful for Arsenal's upcoming first leg against Sporting, but other than that, his injury is not expected to be serious.
As a protocol, he has returned to the Arsenal camp, rather than staying on with England. He joined Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka as players who were given permission to leave international duty to return with their clubs.
Arsenal receive their Noni Madueke boost at exactly the right moment
This is a pivotal injury boost that Mikel Arteta would be more than delighted to receive. The Gunners are about to reach a crucial point in the season, and Noni Madueke is an important option. He may not start every week, but he brings fresh energy from the pitch.
This weekend, Arsenal travel to St. Mary's to face Southampton. Admittedly, this is a game that Madueke would have started in usual circumstances, but he won't be quite ready if The Athletic's claim is anything to go by. He will also not be available for the following match in midweek against Sporting.
After that, though, Arsenal travels to the Etihad Stadium to face Man City, their closest competitors for the Premier League title. It remains to be seen who starts that match, but Arsenal fans will be hopeful that Madueke is at least an option from the bench.
Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka aren't worlds apart this year
In normal times, Bukayo Saka would be the only option for the right-wing slot, even if he had a backup. You could count on one hand the right-wingers in the world that are better than Saka.
However, this year, Saka has not been hitting the same heights everybody knows he's capable of reaching. The England international has been scarily out of form for a long time now, and he needs a source of inspiration to push him over the line before the World Cup starts this summer.
Madueke is there to provide backup and a form of healthy competition. Particularly since Saka was afforded rest this international break, the hope is that he returns better than ever. However, nobody can deny that Saka's faltering form is an opportunity for Madueke to take advantage.