Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is currently out injured and Norway boss Stale Solbakken has provided an update on his fitness
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard sustains an injury
Martin Odegaard is hoping to make his Arsenal comeback after the November international break
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Norway's manager Stale Solbakken has revealed that Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is still "some distance away" from returning to the pitch.
Speaking ahead of Norway's final two World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and Italy, Solbakken also disclosed that an agreement had been reached with Arsenal to include Odegaard in their squad in a non-playing role during the break.
However, he hinted that the 26-year-old midfielder might not be back in action as soon as initially anticipated.
When asked for an update on Odegaard's recovery, Solbakken said: "It is steady. It is going in a steady direction but he is some distance away."
Odegaard sustained an MCL injury during Arsenal's 2-0 victory over West Ham in October after a knee clash with Crysencio Summerville, reports football.london.
The attacking midfielder is now at a critical point in his rehabilitation and will continue his recovery with Norway's medical team later this week, while also supporting his international colleagues.
Confirming that Arsenal had given Odegaard permission to travel with the Norway squad to Oslo and Milan, Solbakken said: "He will fly in [to Oslo] after his rehab on Thursday. Then he will continue his rehab with us and will be with us from Thursday afternoon. I don't know when the flight leaves. But he will be with us until Milan."
Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard has not featured since October(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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While Arsenal have been cautious not to rush Odegaard's recovery, they had hoped to have him back fit for the North London Derby against Tottenham on November 23.
Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are gradually nearing returns while Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli should also be back after the international break after suffering hamstring and groin issues, respectively. Both Gyokeres and Martinelli were recently omitted from Sweden and Brazil's respective international squads.
A win against Estonia on Thursday could be enough to secure Norway's place in the United States, Canada and Mexico - providing Italy fail to secure points against Moldova. If the qualification campaign goes down to the wire, Norway could secure their place in the World Cup finals at San Siro against Italy.
They already boast an impressive goal difference of 26 while Italy have a goal difference of 10, which puts Norway in a strong position to qualify as group winners. Moreover, Norway thrashed Italy 3-0 in Oslo in June, which means they have a superior head-to-head record, too.
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