Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is set to be out for “several weeks” with a knee injury.
Odegaard withdrew from the Norway national team after suffering a medial collateral ligament injury during the 2-0 win over West Ham before the international break.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday: “It will take him a few weeks and I’m not sure of a return date, but he’s progressing well. It’s very unfortunate what’s happening with him and his injuries this season, but I think he’ll be back in a few weeks.
“(He could be out until after the international break) but we will have to see how he progresses, what the condition of his knee is like and how he manages the next stage of his rehabilitation. It is too early to have an answer.”
Odegaard has been injured for the third time this season after suffering a shoulder injury that saw him miss an early game against Leeds in August and three games the following month.
Eberechi Eze, Ethan Nwaneri and Mikel Merino could fill Odegaard’s shoes and when asked if Arsenal’s improved squad depth this season could alleviate the midfielder’s absence, Arteta said: “That doesn’t mean Martin isn’t a key player for us. He is very important and we haven’t had him since the start of the season like other players.”
“But we are coping because we have players in the squad and their quality is really good, but we need him back to make us a better team.”
Arteta will be tested with the fresh Odegaard injury.
Analysis from Sky Sports’ Laura Hunter:
Arsenal may be at the top of the Premier League, but they have suffered a significant setback early this season. Recurring injuries are becoming a running theme.
Of course, there are two sides to this coin. Mikel Arteta will point out how well his side have dealt with notable absentees. And he will be right.
Arsenal now have a group that can maintain their top level without the likes of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba. This is something that could not be said last season.
But the slog is really just beginning. It’s worrying to see so many key players injured so early on. Losing Odegaard, mainly due to other issues, would be difficult for Arteta to handle.
I was at Arsenal’s win over West Ham two weeks ago. At the time, Arteta bravely tried Odegaard and Eberechi Eze in the same system, but the Gunners captain limped off after 30 minutes. A collision with Crysencio Summerville (knee-to-knee) may have seemed innocuous, but it clearly took its toll.
The average time lost from an MCL injury is 41 days. It could be longer. Ethan Nwaneri or even Mikel Merino could step in, so Eze’s presence would soften the blow. However, this is far from perfect news in terms of balancing the fixture schedule across multiple competitions.
In the meantime, the true depth of this Arsenal outfit will be put to the test, as will Arteta’s management of the squad, considered the strongest he has ever worked with. He clearly can’t handle any more setbacks.
Arsenal Injury Update
Arsenal head to Fulham on Saturday evening, with action to continue sky sportsArteta has other injury issues to manage as well.
Martin Zuvimendi – Did not train on Thursday.
Arteta: “The players are all from different countries, they have different numbers of matches and playing times. We believe it is the right thing to do. His load is really high, but he will be available.”
Ben White – did not train on Thursday
Arteta: “It’s very similar. We are monitoring every player and we give each of them a specific menu!”
Piero Hincapie – Groin
Arteta: “He is training with us again. If everything is okay, he will be available. We really want that. He will bring something different to the team. We need to stimulate him and get him up to speed so he can reach the level.”
Noni Maduike – Knees
Arteta: “He’s getting closer. He’ll start running soon.”
Kai Havertz – Knee
Arteta: “It’s very difficult. There’s a lot of work to do in rehab. He’s working really hard. That’s why we love Kai. We’re doing a very good job with him. I’m sure he wants to break all the timelines, but we have to protect him and make sure that when he comes back, he comes back for the long term.”
Arsenal’s next five games
Saturday, October 18th at 5pm
Kickoff at 5:30 PM
Fulham (A) – Premier League – Saturday, October 18, live broadcast sky sports
Atletico Madrid (H) – Champions League – Tuesday, October 21
Crystal Palace (H) – Premier League – Sunday, October 26, live broadcast sky sports
Brighton (H) – Carabao Cup 4th round – broadcast live on Wednesday, October 29n sky sports
Burnley (away) – Premier League – Saturday 1 November
