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Arsenal Team News at Bayer Leverkusen: Martin Odegaard, William Saliba, Ben White

martin-odegaard

Arsenal remains alive for the unprecedented quadruple, with their continental campaign set to resume on Wednesday night. League One side Mansfield Town gave them their all, and it was much more than they expected, in their FA Cup clash this past weekend. The Gunners emerged victorious, narrowly avoiding an upset for the ages, but it was a good wakeup call for the next match, one where they will be heavily favored once again, at Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night. The North Londoners cannot take the German side lightly. Especially when you consider that they might still be without the services of some key players in their back line and midfield. Team captain Martin Odegaard and centerback supreme William Saliba both face late fitness tests in order to feature in this one.

UEFA Champions League Round of 16

Arsenal at Bayer Leverkusen Leg 1 of 2

Kickoff: Wed March 11, 5:45 pm kickoff, Bay Arena, Leverkusen, Germany

Google Result Probability for 90 Min: Arsenal win 62% Draw 22% Bayer Leverkusen win 16%

Arsenal Team News

martin odegaard

Saliba is dealing with an ankle twist, but he should potentially be okay. Odegaard has only a very minor injury with his knee, and he’s most likely a 50/50 proposition for this match. His national team coach, Norway’s Stale Solbakken, said the problem is nothing majorly worrying.

“There is nothing serious about Martin,” Solbakken told Viaplay this week. “The most important thing is that he recovers completely and is good for us in the summer. For those of us who care about the World Cup, it’s not a disaster that he’s getting some breaks now.”

Solbakken suggested that Odegaard will be in available for Arsenal’s run-in this season.

william saliba

“He’s going to rebuild and be crucial for Arsenal in April–May and maybe late March,” Solbakken added.

Moving on to White (unspecified, undisclosed injury), his return is more likely to come on the weekend, in Premier League play.

Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank.He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”

He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.