Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that the Gunners would be without captain Martin Ødegaard for “a few weeks” during an injury update which was otherwise largely positive.
The Norway international spent the opening weeks never far from pain at various points across his body. A recurring shoulder injury forced Ødegaard to be subbed off in the first half of consecutive home matches before completing an unwanted hat-trick after clashing knees against West Ham United a fortnight ago.
It was confirmed by the club that Ødegaard had damaged the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his knee. Depending on the severity of this injury, players can be forced into raft of wildly contrasting recovery timelines. Reports during the international break suggested that Ødegaard would be not appear again for Arsenal until at least the second half of November.
In typically cagey fashion, Arteta refused to definitively confirm those claims, but did concede that the club captain would be unavailable in the short term. “He will be weeks, no definite date for his return, but he’s evolving well,” the Spanish boss told assembled media on Friday.
“It’s very unlucky what’s happening with him and his injuries this season, but I think he will be back in a few weeks.”
When pushed on whether Ødegaard’s absence would extend to November’s international break, Arteta admitted: “It could be,” before adding, “we will have to see how he is progressing, how his knee is feeling, how he manages the next steps in his rehab, it’s too early to get an answer.”
