Martin Odegaard has revealed the injury he picked up at Brentford “is not too bad”, although the midfielder is still expected to sit out today’s visit of Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup.
The club captain was introduced off the bench at half-time on Thursday, initially sparking Arsenal into life, but he required prolonged medical attention after the home side’s equaliser on 71 minutes, kicking through goalscorer Keane Lewis-Potter while trying to clear a flicked-on Michael Kayode throw-in.
While Odegaard recovered enough to play on, he looked far from comfortable and was seen limping from the stadium after the 1–1 draw. He also wasn’t pictured in the latest training snaps.
In his [latest notes for the matchday programme](https://www.arsenal.com/news/odegaard-seeks-fa-cup-run-and-gives-injury-update), Odegaard explained why:
“I picked up a bit of an injury when they scored their goal, but hopefully it’s not too bad. We’ll see how it goes in the build-up to today’s game and over the next few days.
“I tried to clear the ball as it came down, but instead kicked into the player a bit, and ended up over-stretching my leg, which pinched the knee.
“I was able to carry on, but on Friday morning it was very sore, so I was worried, of course, but thankfully it looks like it’s not too bad.”
Odegaard hasn’t had a happy record with injuries this season. Earlier in the campaign, he set an unwanted record by becoming the first Premier League player to be substituted before half-time in three consecutive starts — first injuring a shoulder, then aggravating it, before suffering a knee issue.
In his probable absence, Odegaard has warned his Arsenal teammates not to take Wigan for granted. The Gunners head into the FA Cup fourth-round tie having failed to progress past this stage in the last five seasons, a record that needs improving for a team with trophy ambitions.
“This group of players hasn’t had a run in this competition, and it’s definitely something we want to do,” said the captain.
“We know we can do better in this competition. In recent years, we’ve gone out quite early, so that’s something we want to make better, and it’s another competition we want to go all the way in.
“We are top of the league, we finished top of the league in the Champions League format, we’re into the Carabao Cup final, so this is the next one, and it’s another big one for us.
“We are in strong positions, and we will keep focused on ourselves and pushing in all competitions. Facing a team from League One means we have to stay completely focused, because for them it’s kind of like a free hit.
“Wigan have everything to win and nothing to lose, so it’s extra motivation for them. I know their league form hasn’t been good, but this is a one-off game, and they’ll be up for it.
“That’s always a test for us to be at our best, do the basics right and be really on it. Then we can hopefully show our quality, so it’s just about being focused, doing our job properly and then it can be hopefully be a good night if we do that.”