Martin Odegaard: Mikel Arteta confirms ‘significant’ injury to Arsenal captain - ‘We’re going to lose him for a while’
Published 18/09/2024 at 19:35 GMT+1
Mikel Arteta has revealed that Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has suffered ligament damage in his left ankle and will be sidelined "for a while". The Gunners boss confirmed the news ahead of the club's UEFA Champions League opener against Atalanta, with a trip to Manchester City also looming. Odegaard sustained the injury on international duty. “It’s something quite significant," Arteta said.
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Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Martin Odegaard has sustained a “significant” ligament injury and expects Arsenal “to lose him for a while”.
The Gunners captain landed awkwardly on his left ankle in a nasty incident while playing for Norway during the last international break earlier in September.
He missed Arsenal’s 1-0 North London derby victory over Tottenham Hotspur and is set to miss a blockbuster meeting with expected title rivals Manchester City on Sunday.
Ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League on Thursday – live on TNT Sports and discovery+ – Arteta gave an update on Odegaard’s injury status.
“The scans showed that he’s got some damage, especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle,” the Arsenal boss revealed ahead of the club’s Champions League opener.
“It’s something quite significant so we’re going to lose him for a while.”
Arteta added that he did not want to give a timeline on when Odegaard could potentially return, but said it is “hopefully not months”.
Odegaard has played an influential role in Arsenal's progression under Arteta, who made the Norwegian club captain in 2022.
The 25-year-old has featured for the Gunners 156 times following his initial loan move in 2021, and scored 35 goals and produced 25 assists.
In the Norway skipper’s absence against Spurs on Sunday, Arsenal deployed Kai Havertz in a deeper role with Leandro Trossard up front, while Jorginho replaced the suspended Declan Rice in a different-looking Arsenal midfield.
Gabriel Magalhaes’ second-half header handed Arsenal a valuable three points – and a third win on the bounce at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – in a much-needed win during a tough run of fixtures.
Gabriel celebrates Arsenal's match-winner against Tottenham.
Image credit: Getty Images
Asked how Arsenal plan to live without one of their key players for the foreseeable future, Arteta said he expects his players to step up in Odegaard’s absence.
“He’s our captain,” Arteta said. “He’s been one of the biggest and best players in our team.
“Our identity is very linked to how he plays and behaves. It’s a big test for the team to see how able we are to show a different face.”
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