The Gunners face another nightmare as captain Martin Odegard got injured in the Nations League fixture against Austria. While reclaiming possession, the 25 year old Norwegian got his ankle sprained by the challenge of Christoph Baumgartner. As per reports it seems like Odegard will be at least out for 3-4 weeks. He has already left for England to join the Arsenal camp. There he will be checked up by the medical staff.
Norway national football team coach Solbakken has told the TV2, “Martin’s injury looked bad in the dressing room as well.”
Medical staff Ola Sand believes, “it is just a small ankle strain, but if we are unsure, there will be an MRI tomorrow…when there’s an ankle injury you need to have patience.”
Arsenal fans and management would be pretty upset with this injury. Odegard is one of the best players of their side and a great leader. Under his leadership they are doing well in England and Europe for the last two years. They finished second in the Premier League and reached the quarter finals of the Champions League last season.
The Gunners will definitely be in deficit in the absence of Odegard, as they will be facing Spurs this weekend in the Premier League. Rice is also suspended ahead of the derby clash as he took a red card against the Seagulls in matchday three.
How long is the Gunners injury list?
As of now Arsenal’s injury list consists of three defenders, two midfielders and one forward. Fullbacks Jakub Kiwior, Takehiro Tomiyasu are still out of the squad. When asked about Tomiyasu’s injury Arteta replied “At the moment it’s difficult to say. It’s a bit slow process of the first phase of the injury.” While Kiwior’s absence is still unknown as some believes he is injured and some says he is just out of the squad.
The update on Gabriel Jesus’s injury seems encouraging though. He is expected to join the squad for training after the international break ends. However, the biggest blow for the Gunners was the Merino injury. New signing Mikel Merino has received a shoulder injury in his first ever training session at the Emirates. Reports say it is a shoulder bone crack and it would keep the European champion out for almost 2-3 months.
The frustration kept rising as another new signing Riccardo Calafiori was forced out of action against France in the Nations League. The defender suffered a calf injury and has returned to London for further checkup. His availability in the North London derby seems less likely as he can be ruled out for 1-2 weeks. And the recent injury of Odegard is also a matter of thinking for the Gunners.
However, the Gunners have already targeted their next signing. They will be very desperate to reinforce their midfield in the January transfer window. 21 year old Spaniard Javi Guerra from Valencia is in the lists of Arsenal to bolster their middle.
Arsenal’s next challenge
In the absence of Rice and Odegard Arsenal will be heading towards the North London derby this Sunday. It will be a very difficult phase for the Gunners. They will be playing in three different competitions this month. In the span of two weeks they will be playing against Atalanta away from home in the UCL, City in the Premier League and Bolton in the EFL cup.
We can see the use of veteran midfielder Jorginho in the absence of Rice against the Spurs. It is also very likely that Kai Havertz will play as a number 10 in the absence of captain Odegard in these fixtures. As Trossard will be playing in front of Havertz as a striker. New signing Raheem Sterling will definitely get minutes in his first ever outing with the Gunners. Arsenal fans will be praying for the return of the injured players asap.
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