**Norway head coach Stale Solbakken says he is hopeful that Martin Odegaard will be back in action for Arsenal straight after the international break.**
The Gunners play their FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton at St Mary’s on Saturday week, and Solbakken has suggested that the player could target a return for that match:
“Now it’s three weeks until Arsenal play again. Or 2.5 weeks. I think it could be a goal for Martin to be in a squad then. It’s within reach.”
“There is no reason for him to travel now. He has to train. If he wants to use a day off to come here, he is welcome to do so. But it is not something that has been planned.”
Odegaard has been out for over a month
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The 27-year-old last featured as a substitute for Arsenal in the North London derby near the end of February.
Since then, Odegaard has missed seven games in total, including 3 league fixtures, both legs of the Champions League last 16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen, the FA Cup fifth round clash versus Mansfield Town and the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
This is the second time that the Norwegian has been on the treatment table due to a knee problem this season, and Solbakken says he can not rule out whether it is the same issue that kept the player sidelined for a month in October/November
Several Arsenal players have withdrawn from international duty
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Odegaard is not the only member of the first-team squad who has not linked up with his country. William Saliba, Leandro Trossard, Jurrien Timber, Eberechi Eze and Gabriel have also stayed at home.
In some cases, like Odegaard, Saliba and Eze, the players have picked up genuine [**injuries**](https://goonernews.com/blog/arsenal-injury-news-eberechi-eze-william-saliba/), but there are likely other instances where they have been kept back as a precaution.
[**Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here**](https://goonernews.com/blog/arsenal-first-team-squad/)