Martin Odegaard gives update on 'bad' ankle injury as he addresses Arsenal fans
Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard returned from the recent international break on crutches.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has given an update on his ankle injury, before admitting he doesn't know when he'll be fit to return to action. After limping off in Norway's Nations League game with Austria this month, the 25-year-old returned to London on crutches.
He duly missed the north London derby clash with Tottenham and was still absent for Sunday’s thrilling 2-2 draw at Manchester City.
Arsenal fans have waited anxiously for a diagnosis on the midfielder's injury, and now Odegaard has broken his silence.
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In his captain notes in the Arsenal programme ahead of his side's Carabao Cup clash against Bolton Wanderers tonight, Odegaard said: "It’s been a while since my last programme notes, so I thought I would start with the latest on my injury.
"It was a bad twist to my ankle, and I damaged some ligaments there, but it’s part of football and now I’m just trying to recover as quickly as I can. I’m moving forward, making progress and I’m feeling more positive every day."
Tellingly, at the start of a seven day period where the Gunners follow their Carabao Cup clash with games against Leicester and PSG, Odegaard was unable to provide any kind of return date. He added: "I’m working hard and my only thought is to get back as soon as possible."
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How Arsenal cope without Odegaard is set to prove critical to their Premier League title ambitions. Ahead of the game at the Etihad, manager Mikel Arteta admitted his skipper represented a pivotal figure within the squad.
"He’s our captain. He’s been one of the biggest and best players in our team," he said. "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."
Since arriving from Real Madrid in 2020, initially on loan, Odegaard has made 156 club appearances, scoring 35 goals. He was essentially an ever present in the 2023/24 campaign, playing 48 times in all competitions.
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The development leaves Arteta with something of a midfield crisis on his hands. New signing Mikel Merino, who joined from Real Sociedad in the summer, is also sidelined after picking up an injury in his very first training session.
The 28-year-old has an issue with his arm, and is not set to return until October. Arteta previously admitted: "It looks like he’s going to be out for a few weeks. He landed on the floor and Gabi (Magalhaes) landed on top of him and it looks like he has a small fracture."
