Thierry Henry has spoken honestly about an Arsenal player amid growing concerns
Noni Madueke was subbed off with an injury while playing for England recently(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta will be desperate to return to winning ways following the conclusion of the international break. Arsenal’s last outing was on March 22, when they suffered a heart-breaking 2-0 defeat in the Carabao Cup final to Manchester City.
Having had plenty of time to mull over what went wrong at Wembley Stadium, Arteta will hope to avoid another cup exit in the Gunners’ next fixture – an away visit to Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday night.
Following that, the north Londoners take on Sporting CP in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, kicking off their quarter-final tie away from home. Now, Mirror Football brings you two of the latest news stories involving the Premier League leaders.
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Noni Madueke ‘worry’
Arteta has shed light on Madueke’s worries following his injury for England last week. The winger suffered a knee problem in the first half of England’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay and had to be taken off.
Madueke sparked greater concern when he was later seen leaving Wembley in a knee brace. But Arteta has now revealed the injury is far less serious than the 24-year-old himself initially feared, stating that he will only miss a few days’ worth of football instead of being ruled out for the remainder of the season, as some initially feared.
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The Spaniard said: “It looked really bad. Noni was really worried, especially after what happened in his other knee a few weeks out and he was out for six weeks [earlier this season]. But no, it’s nowhere near that injury. That was really good news.”
Henry addresses Zubimendi criticism
Martin Zubimendi has looked off the pace in recent months(Image: 2026 Marc Atkins)
Thierry Henry has rushed to the defence of Martin Zubimendi after recent criticism of the Arsenal midfielder. After a stellar start to his career in N5 at the beginning of this season, the £55.8million summer signing has suffered a loss of form since the turn of the year.
That was evident again in the recent Carabao Cup final loss, where Zubimendi looked shattered and lost the midfield battle to compatriot Rodri. But Henry says criticism of the Spain international is premature given Rodri faced similar struggles when he first joined City, before going on to win the Ballon d’Or.
The Arsenal legend said in an interview with Betway: “People like to talk a lot about everything and everyone. First it was Bukayo Saka, then [Martin] Odegaard, then [Viktor] Gyokeres, Chelsea, Cole Palmer, the referee etc.
“You can always raise issues. Zubimendi just arrived in the league, and when Rodri first arrived I remember people weren’t sure about him. People can say whatever they want, and rightly so. Everything is so analysed by everybody, including myself, but that’s how it is at the top.
“If you’re not at the top or the bottom, I’m not sure people will talk about you. I’ve been there, so embrace being criticised, and make sure that at the end you can show something that might prove people wrong.”
England’s 2026 World Cup kits
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Various Prices
England Official Store
Buy Now on England Official Store
England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code: ENGFREEDEL