The Norwegian midfielder had to withdraw from his national team duties, and there’s now a clearer picture of his recovery timeline. ..Continue Reading
According to BBC Sport, Odegaard is unlikely to return before late November. If his absence stretches the full six weeks, he could miss seven fixtures for Arsenal.
The Gunners resume Premier League play this Saturday with a trip to Fulham, followed by a Champions League clash at home against Atletico Madrid.
Next up are home games against Crystal Palace and Brighton, then an away match at Burnley, a European tie against Slavia Prague, and a visit to Sunderland on November 8.
Club football will then pause for international matches, during which Norway have a chance to secure qualification for next summer’s World Cup.
They’ll face Estonia at home before traveling to Italy, though their fate may already be decided before that final game.
Odegaard is keen to return but is being careful not to rush back and risk aggravating the injury. The first match after the break is a home fixture against Tottenham on November 23, and he’ll be eager to be involved.
In the meantime, Arsenal have strong midfield options with Eberechi Eze and Ethan Nwaneri available to step in. Mikel Merino could also link up with Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi in the center of the pitch.
It’s a crucial stretch for Arsenal, but they’ve started the season strongly, suffering just one defeat across all competitions.
They currently sit atop the Premier League table and have secured full points from their opening two Champions League games.
Last week, Odegaard traveled back to Norway to support his teammates in their match against Israel.
After the game, the 26-year-old opted not to join the lively locker room celebrations, concerned it might aggravate his knee.
Norway boss Stale Solbakken said: “It wasn’t that easy to get into that locker room after the game. He was terrified of sticking his knee into those scenes there!”
Seven Arsenal matches Martin Odegaard could potentially miss:
Saturday, 18 October – Fulham (away)
Tuesday, 21 October – Atletico Madrid (home)
Sunday, 26 October – Crystal Palace (home)
Wednesday, 29 October – Brighton and Hove Albion (home)
Saturday, 1 November – Burnley (away)
Tuesday, 4 November – Slavia Prague (away)
Saturday, 8 November – Sunderland (away)
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