A report has shared just how long Arsenal could be without captain and star midfielder Martin Odegaard, following his injury on international duty.
Arsenal sweating as Odegaard twists ankle in Norway win
During Norway’s 2-1 win over Austria earlier this week, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was dealt a major worry ahead of their crunch clashes against north London rivals Tottenham and Premier League title rivals Man City.
Odegaard was forced off the pitch during the second half of Norway’s UEFA Nations League victory in Oslo, after the 25-year-old turned his ankle, and he also needed two medics to assist him in walking off the field as he couldn’t bear weight.
This has put the player’s involvement against Tottenham this weekend in serious doubt, with Arsenal also preparing for their opening Champions League game of the season against Atalanta just days later.
Arsenal’s next five Premier League games | Date |
|---|---|
Tottenham (away) | September 15 |
Man City (away) | September 22 |
Leicester City (home) | September 28 |
Southampton (home) | October 5 |
Bournemouth (away) | October 19 |
City await them the following weekend, but depending on the severity of his ankle sprain, Odegaard may not be able to play a role in any of these all-important matches for Arteta.
The former Real Madrid ace becomes yet another potential absentee for Arsenal, with summer signing Mikel Merino also out for nearly two months after fracturing his shoulder in training.
Riccardo Calafiori is a doubt for Arsenal’s clash at Tottenham as well, while star man Declan Rice will miss the blockbuster derby through suspension. Norway team doctor Ola Sand has since called Odegaard’s injury a “small ankle sprain”, which could be considered good news, but there is still no confirmed timeline for his return.
“Martin is doing quite well now,” said Dr. Sand on Odegaard’s ankle injury.
“He got a small ankle sprain. We will see throughout the evening and tomorrow what happens next and what we will do about it. Ankle sprains are difficult to deal with straight away, so we almost have to see how things go forward. We will examine him when we are back at the hotel. Maybe we use ultrasound to look at it. If we are unsure, there will be an MRI.”
The £240,000-per-week star has now returned to Arsenal for medical assessment, but was spotted limping on crutches earlier this week as he boarded a flight back to London.
Now, a report has shared exactly how long Odegaard could be sidelined for Arsenal.
Odegaard could be sidelined for a month at Arsenal after ankle injury
According to Norwegian sources, as relayed by The Mirror and journalist John Cross, Odegaard is facing a potential month out injured for Arsenal – which means he would miss their games against Spurs, Atalanta, Man City, Bolton, Leicester City, PSG and Southampton.
Arteta will be hoping that is the worst-case scenario, as they anxiously wait for a definitive timeline from Arsenal’s medical staff. Dr. Rajpal Brar, taking to X, also shared his thoughts on the matter after seeing Odegaard board his plane home on crutches.
“Latest on Odegaard. Using lofstrand crutches here to reduce weight bearing load but not in a protective boot but also not in a normal shoe (poss due to swelling),” wrote Dr. Brar.
“Looks to have gone up the stairs without the crutches. Hard to determine clear severity early on but hopefully will get more info soon.”
