Arsenal have been without their captain Martin Odegaard for the past two games after the Norwegian midfielder picked up a major ankle injury during the first international break of the season.
The 25-year-old was injured while on international duty with Norway in a match against Austria, landing badly on his left ankle. He was later seen returning to London on crutches, fueling concerns about the extent of the injury.
Odegaard missed last week’s north London derby, which Arsenal won 1-0 away from home, and
While Arsenal have yet to provide an official timetable for Odegaard’s recovery, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has suggested the club are concerned about him.
Fabrizio Romano: Arsenal will not rush Martin Odegaard
talking CaughtOffside’s The Debrief PodcastRomano confirmed that while the club are concerned about his injury, they hope he won’t be out for too long.
He adds that the club are willing to not rush him and allow him to fully recover before he returns in order to avoid recurring injuries in the latter stages of the season.
He said:
“They’re obviously (concerned). He’s a crucial player. He’s the captain. He’s a fantastic player. So obviously they know this injury is a problem for them. But at the same time, they hope it’s not too long “.
“So right now, as far as the medical staff, they’re doing everything they can to get Martin back as soon as possible. We’ll have to be patient for sure. It’s not imminent. It’s going to be weeks before we see Odegaard back in the ‘action’.
“What they always mention to me is that they absolutely want Martin back when he’s 100% fit. They can’t accept another injury to Martin Odegaard later in the season when they expect to be competing for all the major titles.”
“So Arsenal absolutely want Martin to take his time to come back when he is 100% fit. And that will be the staff’s mission, no doubt.”
Arsenal’s spectacular 2-2 draw against Manchester City
Arsenal lost their captain against Manchester City and the game ended in a fiery 2-2 draw, with plenty of drama and controversy.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring for City, but Riccardo Calafiori equalized for the Gunners with a long-range strike. Arsenal took the lead through Gabriel Magalhães, who beat Kyle Walker before scoring with a header.
However, Arsenal’s task was complicated just before the break when Leandro Trossard was shown a second yellow card for kicking the ball away after the whistle.
Despite being down to 10 men, Arsenal defended bravely for the rest of the game, thwarting City’s attackers.
Their efforts came undone in the dying moments of stoppage time, with John Stones scoring from close range to rescue a point for the reigning champions.
Arsenal now turn their focus to the League Cup, where they face Bolton on Wednesday, before a Premier League clash against Leicester City on Saturday.
