Arsenal is evaluating the condition of captain Martin Odegaard ahead of the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. Odegaard, 25, exited the pitch with an injury during Norway’s UEFA Nations League match against Austria, appearing to twist his left ankle in the second half of Norway's 2-1 victory. He required assistance from physios before leaving for further treatment.
Norway coach Stale Solbakken remarked on the severity of the injury, stating it looked concerning in the locker room and that Odegaard could not continue. He added uncertainty regarding whether Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta would reach out to him that evening. Conversely, team doctor Ola Sand provided a more hopeful outlook, mentioning that Odegaard had a minor ankle sprain and that they would monitor his condition throughout the evening and the following day.
However, reports indicated that Odegaard might be out for at least three weeks, as per Norway's medical team. Arsenal's midfield is already affected by the absence of Declan Rice, who is suspended after his red card against Brighton & Hove Albion, and Mikel Merino, who injured his shoulder shortly after joining from Real Sociedad. Additionally, new signing Riccardo Calafiori is under assessment for a calf injury sustained during Italy's match against France, while striker Gabriel Jesus has been sidelined for two weeks due to a groin issue.
Following the match against Spurs, Arsenal will travel to Atalanta for a UEFA Champions League fixture and then face Manchester City the subsequent week. Arteta is expected to update the media about the team’s status during his pre-match press conference.
The absence of Odegaard raises questions about Arsenal's performance, as statistics show a notable drop in the team's win rate without him. Since his arrival in January 2021, Arsenal has won 66.4% of their Premier League matches with Odegaard starting, compared to just 52.6% when he does not. Furthermore, the team's goals per match average decreases from 2.1 with him to 1.6 without, and their shot average also dips from 15.9 per 90 minutes to 13.3.