Martin Odegaard to return to Arsenal as Norway opts against featuring him in November international games
|Norway have decided to send Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard back to London for his rehabilitation to continue after their national team doctor Ola Sand concluded he should not be risked for the upcoming Nations League games against Slovenia and Kazakhstan.
The Gunners star featured for 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Sunday after coming off the bench against Inter Milan during the week, and while his return from a two-month injury layoff is a massive boost, caution has to be taken.
“This has been a complicated ankle injury,” Sand said concerning the Arsenal midfielder.
“With very few training sessions with the team in the last nine weeks, it is natural that the body is not one hundred percent at this stage.
“After thorough investigations and conversations, we have agreed that Martin will not be ready to play for the matches against Slovenia and Kazakhstan. In consultation with him, we have agreed that it is better for him to return home to London to continue his rehabilitation there.”
The news is a huge boost for Arsenal who cannot afford any more injuries right now following a recent underwhelming form, which has seen them go nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after 11 games.
Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka have also pulled out of international duty with England after getting withdrawn against the Blues, and the Gunners will be praying the other players featuring for their countries over the next two weeks return unscathed.
Arsenal struggled without Odegaard, losing three games and drawing another three across all competitions in his absence.
They resume action on November 23 against Nottingham Forest and will have very little rest in between games between then and mid-January.