Arsenal have been dealt a significant blow as Martin Odegaard is set to face at least three weeks on the sidelines with a “bad” ankle injury. The Gunners skipper limped off during Norway’s 2-1 victory over Austria after a poor challenge by Christoph Baumgartner.
Norway’s national team doctor, Ola Sand, confirmed that Odegaard would undergo an MRI scan to reveal the full extent of the damage.
Sand has now provided an update, stating that Odegaard is expected to be ruled out for a minimum of three weeks, with the possibility of the injury taking longer to heal.
The doctor revealed that Odegaard was “very worried” about the injury and was in “extreme pain,” but they are confident that there is no fracture in the ankle or foot.
This news is a major blow to Arsenal, with Odegaard set to miss key fixtures, including matches against Tottenham, Atalanta, Man City, Bolton, and Leicester City. If the injury takes longer to heal, he’ll also miss the Champions League showdown with PSG and the Premier League clash with Southampton.
The timing of the injury couldn’t be worse for Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta already dealing with several other injury problems. New signing Mikel Merino will be out for 6-8 weeks with a fractured shoulder, while Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also on the sidelines. Gabriel Jesus has missed the last two games with a groin injury.
Odegaard’s absence will be deeply felt by the team, and Arteta will be hoping for a speedy recovery.