Arsenal have granted captain Martin Odegaard several days off following a demanding international break with Norway.
The midfielder headed directly back to England after playing the full 90 minutes of Norway’s 2-1 Nations League defeat to Portugal in Porto on Sunday.
Odegaard left the stadium shortly after full-time alongside Erling Haaland, Sander Berge and Kristoffer Ajer, with the Premier League quartet travelling back to England.
Norway head coach Stale Solbakken subsequently confirmed that the players had been given time away by their respective clubs.
“They’ve been given a few days off by their clubs,” Solbakken said. “When they have the opportunity to book a private plane, I understand that they do it when they have two or three days off.”
The decision will give Odegaard an opportunity to recover following an unusually demanding international period before Arsenal resume their Premier League campaign against Leeds United on Saturday.
Odegaard played every minute of Norway’s four Nations League fixtures, completing 360 minutes across matches against Denmark, Portugal, Wales and Portugal again.
Solbakken specifically highlighted the workloads carried by the Arsenal captain and Fulham midfielder Berge when discussing why some players immediately returned to England.
“Martin and Sander have played four times 90 minutes,” he said.
The workload is particularly significant given Odegaard suffered an ankle problem during Norway’s first meeting with Portugal during the international window.
Bernardo Silva caught the 27-year-old with a late challenge after Odegaard had released the ball, leaving the midfielder in considerable pain and prompting an angry reaction.
Odegaard subsequently missed training before Norway faced Wales, although examinations carried out by national-team doctor Ola Sand found no serious damage to his ankle.
He recovered sufficiently to remain involved throughout the rest of Norway’s international programme and avoided a further setback despite completing both remaining matches.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will nevertheless be conscious of his captain’s workload as the Gunners prepare to enter another demanding sequence of fixtures.
Solbakken believes rest is particularly important for players whose clubs progressed deep into the summer’s World Cup before quickly beginning the new domestic season.
“You have to remember that the teams that went far in the World Cup have many players who have had minimal vacation,” the Norway boss explained. “Then it’s right to the start of the series and then a mini-tournament. It’s an extreme strain.”
Odegaard is therefore not expected to immediately return to full training at Sobha Realty Training Centre.
The short break should instead provide valuable recovery time before Arsenal assess their captain ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Leeds.