Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard shares fresh injury update

Arsenal have been without Martin Odegaard in their last four games across all competitions after the Norwegian international midfielder picked up an injury against Austria early this month.

The Gunners skipper twisted his ankle and could spend weeks on the sidelines, and he has provided a personal assessment of his recovery and how he felt when he got injured.

Arsenal are desperate to have Odegaard return to action sooner rather than later, and he also feels the same way, but he knows he cannot rush himself back to full fitness and is taking his time to recover well.

“I think it was unfortunate to get the injury in the way that I did,” the Gunners skipper said on the official website of the club.

“But also it could have been worse. It was not a nice twist, and when it happened I felt it could be serious. I’ve injured my ankle before and the pain felt a bit different this time. That’s what scared me, but from what happened it could have been worse, so in that sense I got away with it a bit.

“Like any player, the first thing I asked the medical team was how long I would be out for, but it’s a bit tricky to say at the moment. In the early stages, it’s crucial to get a proper rest and to make sure everything heals well. After that it’s about getting stronger and building it up again.”

The injury is worse than first anticipated and Odegaard could need an extended period of rehabilitation, with the club not expecting him back in action until towards the end of the year.

The player and medical staff will now be working to ensure everything goes according to plan as Arsenal cannot afford to be without him for long.

Odegaard needs to be prevented from suffering any form of setback, and manager Mikel Arteta will have to come up with a plan to solve the creative dearth his absence has created in the squad.