Due to an ankle injury sustained while playing for Norway, Arsenal’s captain Martin Odegaard will be out for an extended period of time. The Gunners will be without the Norwegian for crucial Premier League matches.
Martin Odegaard, the captain of Arsenal, is expected to miss two crucial games in the title fight due to his eight-week absence.
After being cleared to return for the November internationals, midfielder Odegaard of the Gunners will play against Nottingham Forest at the Emirates. The club and Norway first mistook Odegaard’s knock for something more serious, according to manager Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal is still hopeful that Odegaard can recover in eight weeks as they consider the recommendations of renowned medical experts. But Arteta’s hopes of winning the Premier League and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, which began on Thursday night with a hard-fought draw against Atalanta in Bergamo, Italy, have been severely damaged by the protracted suspension.
The North London team is exerting all effort to guarantee that Odegaard recovers quickly from the injuries he sustained while representing Norway versus Austria. As the swelling took time to go down, concerns about ligament damage were initially written off and hopes were placed on a little sprain.
However, Arteta acknowledged that Odegaard’s ankle had “significant” damage. Although they are reluctant to give a precise date, everyone agrees that their captain will be fit for action well before the busy Christmas schedule of games, according to the Mirror.
In order to play Tottenham, Arteta was compelled to start a patchwork squad that included Jorginho and Thomas Partey in the midfield. Declan Rice’s return for Arsenal’s title match against Manchester City on Sunday, though, will give them hope.
On October 27, when Arsenal hosts championship rivals Liverpool at the Emirates, they might still be without their main playmaker even if they make it through the champions’ test. They prevailed in the equivalent matchup the previous season, and that victory was crucial in keeping up the pressure on City until the very end.
Martin Odegaard trudged off against Austria
A major help will come when new midfield player Mikel Merino returns next month after also missing time with a shoulder fracture.
In the upcoming weeks, Arsenal may also think about playing 17-year-old midfielder Ethan Nwaneri. The preseason form of the England under-17 wonder, who is regarded as a major project, played a key role in their decision to loan out Fabio Vieira to his previous club Porto.
In addition to sending Gabriel Jesus back up front while Kai Havertz slides into midfield, Nwaneri might substitute immediately. Arteta might be reluctant to take this risk considering Havertz’s potent attacking ability.
ODEGAARD MAY MISS ARSENAL GAMES.
Champions League – Atalanta (A) – September 19.
Manchester City (A), September 22.
September 25 – Carabao Cup, Bolton (H).
Leicester (H) on September 28.
Champions League – PSG (H) – October 1.
Southampton on October 5 (H).
Bournemouth (A) on October 19.
Champions League: Shakhtar Donetsk (H) on October 22.
Liverpool on October 27 (H).
Newcastle, November 2 (A).
Champions League: Inter Milan (A) on November 6.
Chelsea (A) on November 10.
