Norway manager Stale Solbakken has suggested Martin Odegaard could be sidelined a little longer by the knee problem that ruled him out of Arsenal’s wins over Chelsea and Brighton.
The issue was first picked up at Brentford, when Odegaard tried to prevent Keane Lewis-Potter from scoring. It is not believed to be serious. In fact, the Arsenal captain has played since that game, making a brief cameo at Sp*rs which included an assist. Still, it’s typical of his luck this season that the problem hasn’t fully cleared up.
“There is nothing serious about Martin. The most important thing is that he recovers completely and is good for us in the summer,” Solbakken told Viaplay this week.
“For those of us who care about the World Cup, it’s not a disaster that he’s getting some breaks now. He’s going to rebuild and be crucial for Arsenal in April-May and maybe late March.”
If that timeline proves accurate, Odegaard seems unlikely to feature when Arsenal visit Mansfield in the FA Cup on Saturday.
With high-stakes matches coming thick and fast, Arsenal will be hoping he returns sooner rather than later. Before the March international break, the schedule includes a Champions League double-header with Bayer Leverkusen, Everton in the league, and the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City on 22 March.
Odegaard has made 27 appearances across all competitions this season but has played just 1,405 minutes, averaging 52 minutes per game. Large parts of the campaign have already been disrupted by a shoulder problem and another knee issue.