Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard Suffers “Significant” Ankle Ligament Injury

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been sidelined after suffering a “quite significant” ankle ligament injury, confirmed manager Mikel Arteta. The injury occurred during Norway’s Nations League win over Austria on September 9, when Odegaard hurt his left ankle following a foul by Christoph Baumgartner.

Odegaard, 25, returned to Arsenal for an MRI scan, which revealed damage to the ankle ligaments, causing him to miss the Gunners’ 1-0 victory against Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday.

Arteta expressed concern over the midfielder’s absence ahead of Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures, including Thursday’s Champions League clash against Atalanta and Sunday’s crucial Premier League match against leaders Manchester City. “It’s something quite significant, so we are going to lose him for a while. Hopefully not months,” said Arteta.

Odegaard’s injury is a major setback for Arsenal, with Arteta emphasizing the importance of the Norwegian’s role in the team: “He’s our captain. He’s been one of the biggest and best players in our team. 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.”