Noni Madueke suffered a knee injury during England’s draw with Uruguay, adding to Arsenal’s growing injury concerns.
Noni Madueke left Wembley Stadium with his left knee in a brace after picking up an injury during England’s 1-1 draw against Uruguay. The winger’s early exit is expected to heighten concerns for Mikel Arteta ahead of a crucial run of fixtures.
🚨 Noni Madueke leaves Wembley with a brace on his left knee, after being forced off due to an injury in an international friendly for England tonight. ❌🤕
🎥 @Dan_Sheldon_ pic.twitter.com/G7Lb8cUE2V
— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) March 27, 2026
Madueke, who started the match, was forced off shortly after the half-hour mark following a heavy challenge from Rodrigo Aguirre. Initially suspected to be a head injury, replays later showed the Arsenal player’s knee absorbed the full impact.
After receiving treatment, he attempted to continue but soon signalled to the bench that he could not carry on.
It ends 1-1 at @WembleyStadium in the #ThreeLions‘ first game of the year. pic.twitter.com/Z6EFVgyBs3
— England (@England) March 27, 2026
The injury adds to a growing list of concerns for Arteta. Eberechi Eze is expected to miss at least a month after sitting out the Carabao Cup final, while Mikel Merino remains sidelined long term. The availability of key players is becoming an increasing worry for Arsenal’s manager.
Martin Ødegaard is still working his way back to full fitness, and several others have withdrawn from international duty. William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Leandro Trossard and Jurriën Timber are all unavailable, leaving Arteta facing a challenging period.
It was also a dramatic night for Ben White, who returned to the England squad for the first time since the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He was booed by sections of the crowd when introduced and again after scoring England’s late goal, in what proved to be a rollercoaster cameo.
White’s evening took another twist in stoppage time when he conceded a penalty after fouling Federico Valverde. Following a VAR review, Valverde converted the spot-kick to deny England victory and cap an eventful return for the defender.
England now turn their attention to a friendly against Japan national football team on Tuesday. Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are expected to return after a short break, offering some positive news amid mounting injury concerns.
