Mikel Arteta said that his captain Martin Odegaard will not need a surgery after he was subbed off due to an injury during the Premier League match against Nottingham Forest. While he was no expert in medicine, Arsenal's medical team has hinted that the midfielder's injury was not very serious, the manager said.
Mikel Arteta said Odegaard was finding it difficult to carry on and having played twice for Norway during the international break, he decided it was best that he was withdrawn immediately, Arteta explained. Odegaard landed heavily on his shoulder after a coming together involving Morgan Gibbs-White and teammate Jurrien Timber before being replaced by Ethan Nwaneri in the eighteenth minute. The 26-year-old had injured the same shoulder before the international break and the fresh setback is of a similar nature, Arteta said.
"So we have to assess him with the doctors but I am sure he will try his best to be fit for Tuesday. The last time within a few days he was able to manage the pain. But I don’t know the extent of today," Arteta reportedly said.
The Gunners skipper suffered the injury just ahead of their Champions League opener against Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday evening before they play Manchester City at The Emirates on Sunday. Arteta didn't have a comeback date forOdegaard but said that his player was able to get over the pain in a matter of days the last time and there was no reason to believe things are harder this time.
Despite losingOdegaard early in the game, Arsenal managed a memorable 3-0 win thanks to their new signings. While defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi scored twice, Viktor Gyokeres, a prolific striker expected to transform the team's fortunes, delivered exactly what is expected of him with a close-range finish. It was a third win in four matches for Arsenal, one of the top title contenders.