Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Martin Odegaard will be sidelined for “a while” following scans on his ankle. injury.
Odegaard went down on international duty and Norway’s team doctor initially revealed it would take at least three weeks for the Gunners captain to recover, with the possibility of that timeline only increasing if further scans revealed more damage.
Although Arteta stopped short of putting a specific timeframe on Odegaard’s recovery, he admitted he does not expect to see his captain in the foreseeable future.
“After everything was scanned, the scan showed that I had some damage, especially in one of the ankle ligaments,” Arteta said. “We will miss him.
“I don’t want to (give a timeline) because I’m not a doctor, but yeah, it’s a pretty big deal, so we’re going to miss him for a while. Hopefully not months, but we’ll see.”
Odegaard has missed just five Premier League games since joining arsenal three years ago, but will now at least double that number, and Arteta has warned his team that they must adapt quickly to life without the 25-year-old.
“He is our captain, he is one of our greatest players without a doubt,” explained Arteta. “He’s been one of the most consistent players over the last two or three seasons.
“Our identity is very much related to the way they play and behave. We will have to face that. It is a great test also for the team, how we are able to show maybe a different face and the fact of having other players and other options that can still be very effective.”
Arsenal travel to face Atalanta in their Champions League opener on Thursday, before returning to Premier League action with a big game away to Manchester City on Sunday. Paris Saint-Germain, Inter, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Chelsea are all scheduled for the next six weeks.
