Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest was just 18 minutes old when Mikel Arteta was forced to withdraw captain Martin Ødegaard because of injury.
The Norwegian came into the game having experienced previous issues with a shoulder, and it didn’t take long for him to awkwardly land on it following a challenge from Morgan Gibbs-White.
Ødegaard received extensive treatment from Arsenal’s physio and attempted to play on as the hosts sought the opening goal of Saturday’s early kickoff. But it wasn’t to be for Ødegaard, whose performance levels in midfield have been questioned in recent weeks and months, and he was replaced by teenage prodigy Ethan Nwaneri.
“He was uncomfortable to continue, that’s a shame because he was playing with the [Norwegian] national team [and] he was feeling good. And suddenly, something happened again. He’s certainly going to be doing everything from now [until Tuesday] I can guarantee you that, but I don’t know,” Arteta said after the game in relation to the injury and prospect around the club captain returning for their opening Champions League fixture against Athletic Club.
Odegaard Injury Adds to Arsenal Woes
The exit of Arsenal’s captain adds to a growing list of concerns for Arteta. Already without Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka—three attacking players who would expect to see plenty of minutes as starters—the Spaniard was unable to call upon William Saliba for the visit of Forest.
The Frenchman picked up an ankle injury prior to the 1–0 defeat to Liverpool before the international break, though he attempted to play the match at Anfield before hobbling off after just five minutes. Arteta confirmed on Friday that Saliba was back in training, but he wasn’t named in Arsenal’s squad when the teamsheets were announced just after 11 a.m.
Eberechi Eze was handed a first Arsenal start by Arteta, who picked Noni Madueke to appear on the opposite flank, and Cristhian Mosquera was the player called upon to fill in for Saliba.
Arteta’s mood lifted somewhat just after the half-hour mark when Martín Zubimendi opened his goalscoring account for Arsenal with a sensational volley from outside the penalty area. The Spaniard showed off his great technical ability, as well as a cool head, to smash home into Matz Sels’ top corner after Madueke’s corner had been partially cleared.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mikel Arteta Issues Martin Odegaard Injury Update After Victory vs. Nottingham Forest.
