Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has given a mixed injury update on midfielder Martin Odegaard ahead of the club’s EFL Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers.
The captain remains sidelined after suffering an ankle injury during Norway’s Nations League victory over Austria on the 9th of September.
He has already missed three crucial ties this month: the North London derby win vs Spurs, followed by the Champions League draw against Atalanta and the PL draw with Manchester City.
With games coming thick and fast, the fans are worried about the lack of availability of their midfield maestro Odegaard. The Gunners will face the Trotters on Wednesday, followed by league rivals Leicester City on Saturday.
MARTIN ODEGAARD INJURY UPDATE
In the pre-match conference, Mikel Arteta was asked whether he could see the player returning early next month, and as quoted by Football London, he said:
“I think it will be a matter of weeks, but how long exactly I cannot tell. We might get a surprise but I think it’s unlikely he’ll be back before the international break.”
The Gooners will be happy to hear that the Norwegian star might have a chance to return at least after the international break. It is much better to know that he hasn’t suffered a serious knock, as previous rumours indicated that the midfielder will be out for months.
When Arsenal looked ahead to games v Spurs and City with Rice, Odegaard & Merino issues they would have taken 4 points
The fact they are now disappointed not to have 6 points from those two matches shows how good they actually are
— Dean Jones (@DeanJonesSoccer) September 22, 2024
Although his exact return date remains unknown, the Arsenal fans will be optimistic about his chances of returning to the field.
MUST READ: Arsenal’s summer signing to make his debut in second week of October
He will still miss at least four games, all being played away: Bolton (EFL), Leicester (PL), Paris Saint-Germain (UCL), and Southampton (PL).
Arteta also mentioned that left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko will be out for a few weeks due to an issue with his calf. Meanwhile, new summer signing Mikel Merino might return to training on grass by next week.
Youngsters Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri will get a chance to impress in the left-back and midfield roles, respectively, against Bolton.
