New Delhi: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that the team’s captain, Martin Odegaard, has suffered a serious ligament injury to his ankle. While appearing for Norway’s Nations League victory over Austria, the midfielder was seen limping off the field. Odegaard fell victim to a foul from Christoph Baumgartner at the second and was visibly in pain.
Returning to Arsenal, the 25-year-old went for an MRI scan and was on the sidelines during the 1-0 win against Tottenham Hotspurs. Speaking about the results of the MRI, Arteta mentioned that scans have found damage to one of the ligaments of Odegaard’s ankle. The 42-year-old manager didn’t confirm the time frame in which Odegaard can be expected to return to the pitch.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has given an update on Martin Odegaard’s injury ahead of their #UCL match against Atalanta. pic.twitter.com/UyZm9V9C6w
— SBOTOP (@sbotopofcl) September 19, 2024
Expressing his disappointment to the media, Arteta said that the Norwegian player would be out of action for a while but was hopeful that it wouldn’t be a months-long absence. The immediate consequence of the situation is that he will not feature in the game against Atlanta to start the Gunners’ campaign in UCL and even chose not to travel with the side to Italy, nor will he play the Premier League points table leaders, Manchester City.
Arteta mentioned that Arsenal will be missing a key player due to the injury. There’s little doubt that Odegaard has been one of the best players in the team, and Arteta himself mentioned that it will be a test for the team to see how they play in the absence of one of their core players. In the last last three seasons, the Arsenal skipper has missed only five games and Arteta has wished the team learns to play without Odegaard.
Despite the injury, the squad has a replacement for Odegaard with Arsenal’s summer signing Riccardo Calafiori, who is fit to play the game. Calafiori himself returned to the club with an injury during his international commitment but has been cleared to play the upcoming game.
Odegaard suffered injury to his ankle during international duty and MRI scans confirm a extended absence in the ongoing season. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
