Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard will be in with a chance of playing against Manchester City this weekend, according to injury expert Stephen Smith.
Speaking to Metro, Smith said that the Norwegian suffered what appeared to be a shoulder ligament injury during the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend, and the recovery period is relatively short.
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“Typical timelines for injuries like that, I would expect that is on the lower grade, so a period of 10 to 14 days or even seven to 14 days off the back of that fall. Maybe faster if he didn’t exacerbate things too badly.”
Odegaard was never likely to play against Athletic Club, due to the short turnaround time between the Forest fixture and the Champions League group game.
However, the 8-day gap to the match on Sunday evening should give the 26-year-old a fighting chance of being involved.
Will Odegaard start against Man City?
Although the midfielder could be back in training by the weekend, he may not be 100% fit, so the likeliest scenario is that he will be on the bench.
That would correspond to what happened after the Leeds fixture when he suffered a very similar injury. He was a substitute for the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool last month.
Which Arsenal player could take Odegaard’s place?
Manager Mikel Arteta has favoured Mikel Merino as the captain’s replacement so far, but many would prefer a more attack-minded player.
After struggling out on the left against Athletic, there could be a case for Eberechi Eze moving centrally if Odegaard is not fully fit, with either Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard being recalled.
Knowing how conservative Arteta can be with his team selections, though, you would expect a midfield three of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Merino to take on City.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here