Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard
A captain who plays every minute of a break, then boards a private jet, is being managed on the other side of the flight. Days off are the plan. A scan is the condition.
Four games in a fortnight is a full load even without an ankle knock. Clubs that went deep in a World Cup have less holiday to give back.
Saturday is an early kick-off. Training later in the week is not the same as being in the XI.
Ståle Solbakken has confirmed Martin Odegaard has been given a few days off by Arsenal after Norway’s 2-1 defeat to Portugal in Porto. The captain flew back to London overnight with Erling Haaland, Sander Berge and Kristoffer Ajer on a private jet from Porto that landed at Luton in the early hours. He is not expected back at Sobha until later in the week. Leeds are the early kick-off on Saturday.
Solbakken said: “They have booked a private plane that you and I cannot.
“It’s not just him [Haaland], there’s a whole bunch of people leaving now. They’ve been given a few days off by their clubs.
🚨Arsenal have given Martin Ødegaard several days off after he played every minute of Norway’s four Nations League matches.
The skipper will get a full week’s recovery ahead of Leeds this weekend.
[@RyanTaylorSport] https://t.co/AiR8XuPMuj
— now.arsenal (@now_arsenaI) October 5, 2026
“When they have the opportunity to book a private plane, I understand that they do it when they have two or three days off.
“You have to remember that the teams that went far in the World Cup have many players who have had minimal vacation. Then it’s right to the start of the series and then a mini-tournament. It’s an extreme strain.”
Odegaard told TV2: “Now it’s straight home to England.”
He played every minute of Norway’s four Nations League games, including Sunday’s defeat, after an ankle knock from Bernardo Silva in the 2-1 loss in Oslo. He called that challenge one that “doesn’t belong on a football field.” Scans found no significant damage. He missed one training session, made the Wales squad, and then completed the window. The ankle still has to be monitored before a run of league, Champions League and cup games.
Ezri Konsa is the other early return. He has been sent back for assessment and ruled out of England’s game against Czechia on Tuesday, after a slight muscle issue and a full 90 minutes against Croatia. William Saliba remains on a November target. Christos Tzolis is facing about 20 days with a hamstring. Kai Havertz is on a muscle strain.
Odegaard’s file is rest, not a withdrawal. He will not train at the start of the week. Whether he starts against Leeds depends on an ankle that survived four internationals and a schedule that now gives him only a few days to prove it.