Arsenal have been dealt a huge blow ahead of their tough schedule in September as captain Martin Odegaard could be sidelined for several weeks after sustaining a serious ankle injury while on international duty, Soccernet.football reports.
Odegaard was forced off during the second half of Norway’s 2-1 victory over Austria in the Nations League on Monday night, after his ankle twisted awkwardly in a challenge with Christoph Baumgartner.
The Norway skipper received several minutes of treatment before being substituted. Norway manager Stale Solbakken acknowledged the severity of the injury after the match, stating, “It didn’t look good in the dressing room either.”
“I saw he was sitting with the physiotherapists around him but he had no chance to continue and we know it was an ankle sprain.
“Yes, it’s a sprain, and as those of us who had played football know, with luck it can turn out OK if the ligaments aren’t torn.
“I’m not really sure that [Mikel] Arteta will call me tonight to praise me.”
Norway team doctor Ola Sand added: “He got a small ankle sprain. We will see throughout the evening and tomorrow what happens next and what we will do about it.
“Ankle sprains are difficult to deal with straight away, so we almost have to see how things go forward.
“We will examine him when we are back at the hotel. Maybe we use ultrasound to look at it. If we are unsure, there will be an MRI tomorrow.”
Ordegaard’s injury is a huge blow for Arteta’s men, especially as a trio of challenging fixtures lie ahead.
The Gunners will be back in Premier League action when they travel to north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Arteta will have limited midfield options at his disposal with Declan Rice suspended and Mikel Merino out with a shoulder injury.
Following the north London derby will be a trip to Bergamo where Arsenal will kick off their Champions League campaign against Atalanta before concluding a tough three-game away stretch against reigning champions Manchester City at the Etihad.