Martin Odegaard Injury Update: Arsenal Captain Doubtful for North London Derby

The international break has not been a great one for Arsenal as their players continue to get injured. The latest addition to the list is the club captain and Norwegian international Martin Odegaard. He was forced off against Austria on Monday while playing in the Nations League tie. This keeps him in doubt for Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. 

After tussling for the ball with Austrian midfielder Christoph Baumgartner, Odegaard collapsed to the pitch holding his left ankle. He appeared in agony while receiving treatment from the medical staff and had to be helped to leave the pitch. An emotional Odegaard headed down the tunnel for extra treatment, with Erling Haaland offering a touch of consolation.

When asked about the extent of the injury, Norway coach Stale Solbakken said, “Martin Odegaard’s injury looked bad in the dressing room as well. He got a small ankle sprain. We will see; maybe we use ultrasound to look at it, and an MRI will be done tomorrow.”

Arsenal’s injuries

Odegaard’s injury leaves the manager, Mikel Arteta, with a big question of how to replace the club captain in the biggest game of the season so far. They are already on the backfoot after a 1-1 draw against Brighton just before the international break. The Norwegian’s injury is the sixth injury in the squad and the third one after the transfer window closed. The list includes two summer signings, Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino, along with old players like Gabriel Jesus, Kieran Tierney, and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Arteta will be under great stress with the recent injury as Odegaard is a key player to the squad, and he will be very difficult to replace considering the qualities he brings onto the pitch. They play Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, after which they travel to play Europa League winners Atalanta in the new-look Champions League before meeting rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

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