Martin Odegaard, the star midfielder of Arsenal, has been diagnosed with ankle ligament injury, necessitating a minimum of one month of absence. However, the esteemed journalist Ben Jacobs has informed GIVEMESPORT that the midfielder may still be summoned to Norway for international duty in October.
The playmaker was compelled to leave the field after colliding with Christoph Baumgartner during a game against Austria in the Nations League earlier this month, resulting in the injury. He was subsequently removed from the field. The setback, which was initially characterized as “worrying,” was ultimately diagnosed as ligament injury. Consequently, he was assigned a return date that could extend “beyond four weeks.”
The Gunners were able to defeat Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday without their captain. However, they produced a bleak performance in a stalemate against Atalanta in Bergamo on Thursday and will be without their creative core for the journey to Manchester City this weekend.
Nevertheless, Jacobs has disclosed that Norway may still pick Odegaard for the upcoming international break in October, which could imply that the initial assessment of sidelined time was not as detrimental as initially thought.
Jacobs: Odegaard has the potential to play for Norway in October.
The Gunners will not wish for their commander to depart with his national team.
Odegaard has achieved significant success in the Premier League and at Arsenal since his transfer from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 for £34 million. The Norwegian, who was appointed captain of the north London side at the commencement of the 2022/23 season, commenced 35 league games last season, netting eight goals and contributing ten assists to Mikel Arteta’s team.
It is evident that Odegaard is of paramount importance to Arsenal. Therefore, the news that he may resume playing as early as midway through October will be a source of solace for the Spanish tactician. Nevertheless, his prospective return in a Norway shirt, rather than the Gunners’ scarlet strip, will be a cause for concern.
Jacobs provided an update on the situation during an interview with GIVEMESPORT:
“Scans revealed that the injury caused by Norway was more severe than initially anticipated for Martin Odegaard, who has ankle ligament damage.” It appears that he will be absent for a minimum of one month, and this may be an overly optimistic estimate.
“The situation should become more lucid following the international break in October.” Norway has not entirely disregarded the possibility of summoning him, but Arsenal will likely be hesitant to send him back to international duty, even if he does recuperate quickly.
