Arsenal nightmare confirmed as injured Odegaard ‘will miss big title clashes’
Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard is set to be sidelined for eight weeks – potentially missing two massive games in the title race.
Gunners midfielder Odegaard has the Emirates clash against Nottingham Forest, after November internationals marked for his comeback. Boss Mikel Arteta has let slip that Odegaard’s knock is more serious than the club and Norway initially thought.
With Arsenal weighing up advice from top medical professionals, optimism remains that Odegaard can bounce back in eight weeks. However the lengthy spell has dealt a blow to Arteta’s Premier League title dreams, alongside their UEFA Champions League ambitions – which got underway with a hard fought draw against Atalanta in Bergamo, Italy on Thursday evening.
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The North London side are going all out to ensure Odegaard makes a storming recovery after he copped the injury playing for Norway against Austria. In the beginning, hopes were pinned on a minor sprain as the swelling took a while to subside and fears of ligament damage were dismissed.
Yet, Arteta confessed to “significant” damage within Odegaard’s ankle, and despite the reluctance to nail down a strict timeline, the consensus is that their skipper will be match-ready well ahead of the fixture-heavy Christmas period, reports the Mirror.
Arteta was forced to field a makeshift team against Tottenham, with Thomas Partey and Jorginho in the midfield. However, they will be buoyed by the return of Declan Rice for Arsenal’s title showdown at Manchester City on Sunday.
However, if they survive the test of the champions, Arsenal could still be without their chief playmaker when they host title rivals Liverpool at the Emirates on October 27. They won the corresponding fixture last term, in a victory that was vital to pushing City all the way until the last day of the season.
New midfield recruit Mikel Merino is also sidelined due to a shoulder fracture but anticipates a return next month, which will be a significant boost.
Arsenal might also consider giving 17-year-old midfielder Ethan Nwaneri some game time in the coming weeks. The England under-17s’ sensation is seen as a massive project, and his pre-season form was instrumental in their decision to loan out Fabio Vieira to his former club Porto.
Nwaneri could step in directly, and they also have the additional option of moving Gabriel Jesus back up front while Kai Havertz drops into midfield. Arteta may be hesitant to do this given Havertz’s impressive attacking form.
ARSENAL GAMES ODEGAARD COULD MISS.
September 19 – Atalanta (A) Champions League.
September 22 – Manchester City (A).
September 25 – Bolton (H) Carabao Cup.
September 28 – Leicester (H).
October 1 – PSG (H) Champions League.
October 5 – Southampton (H).
October 19 – Bournemouth (A).
October 22 – Shakhtar Donetsk (H) Champions League.
October 27 – Liverpool (H).
November 2 – Newcastle (A).
November 6 – Inter Milan (A) Champions League.
November 10 – Chelsea (A).
