Martin Ødegaard
Arsenal star Martin Ødegaard has struggled with multiple injuries this season.
The Norway international has played 1,536 minutes from 29 matches, managing a goal and seven assists.
He went off injured in Arsenal’s north London derby win over February, forcing him to miss the last international break.
On April 4th, the midfielder returned to pitch in Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to Southampton and started in their Champions League win over Sporting.
In the European clash, the former Real Madrid man suffered a fresh setback. TV2 expert Jesper Mathisen wasn’t happy with the latest blow, while initial claims indicated it may not be a serious one.
Last Thursday, Norway manager Ståle Solbakken spoke about the 27-year-old suffering another setback.
He said: “He [Ødegaard] got a little one [injury] where he shouldn’t have, but I don’t think it’s anything serious. He’ll be on the field in the near future. It was a small setback, and we don’t need any more of them.”
Ødegaard has already missed over 120 days and 23 matches for Mikel Arteta’s side so far this season.
Arsenal’s silence not pleasing Norway
Dagbladet now report the Premier League side haven’t provided any update on when the player will return to action.
The newspaper has also spoke to former Norway international Steffen Iversen, who can relate to what the Arsenal star is going through.
Iversen had spells at Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace and several other clubs. He also endured physical problems during his playing career.
“Knees are tricky. I’ve had my share of surgeries. I’ve had four operations on my left knee. Fortunately, it’s fine now. But it doesn’t take much to set you back,” he said.
“Often, when you have injuries, they keep coming back to haunt you. You feel like you’re healthy. Then you feel exactly the same pressure on your knee all over again. You might be out for three or four weeks. Then you have to train your way back up. It’s no fun.”
“I’ve had a lot of injuries. Among other things, I’ve had surgery on my left knee four times. I’ve broken my nose 10–12 times and had many concussions. It’s been a lot of different things. But my back has been the worst.”
On Martin Ødegaard’s injury woes this season, Iversen explained: “It depends on what’s going on inside the knee. We on the outside don’t get to know everything. They always keep something secret. It could be things that aren’t good. Then he’s come back. It feels OK. And yet, it’s not quite right after all.”
Worry for Arsenal and Norway
If Ståle Solbakken is to be believed, Martin Ødegaard should feature again for Arsenal this season.
However, the repeated setbacks should be concerning for the Gunners, especially for the title race. His absence also means the midfielder won’t have enough minutes under his belt for the World Cup with Norway.
In short, the midfielder’s injury situation worries both Mikel Arteta’s side and the national team.