Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard is expected to be sidelined with a knee problem until at least November’s international break, according to a new report.
The Gunners skipper has been decidedly unlikely with injuries this season. Ødegaard became the first player in Premier League history to be subbed off in the first half of three consecutive appearances after a nasty clash of knees against West Ham United at the start of October.
Having previously been plagued with a persistent shoulder injury, Ødegaard was subsequently diagnosed with an MCL issue by Arsenal. The club didn’t provide any timeframe for his recovery, although some experts estimated it could stretch to as long as two months.
Ødegaard will be out until Nov. 23 at the earliest, according to BBC Sport.
The report does not provide a definitive return date for the 26-year-old, and even expresses doubt over his involvement in the first north London derby of the season immediately after November’s international break. However, his absence over the coming weeks ensures he is guaranteed to miss a flood of crucial games.
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Mikel Arteta’s current league leaders have fared reasonably well despite only being able to call upon Ødegaard for less than one-third of the available Premier League minutes this season. Arsenal’s skipper is typically the club’s most prolific creator, although he vies for that status with Bukayo Saka. Unlike his teammate, the England winger is back fit and available.
Despite racking up just 348 minutes of Premier League football, Saka has already created six chances from open play, the second-highest tally among Arsenal’s squad. Right back Jurriën Timber is the team’s surprising leader in this metric with seven.
That is partly a consequence of his availability—he has appeared in every league game thus far—but also underscores the type of sustained improvement which has led to talk of a new contract.
Set-piece specialist Declan Rice already boasts two assists from corner kick scenarios this season and will continue to be relied upon while summer recruit Eberechi Eze was arguably brought in for this very scenario.
The former Crystal Palace star has made an encouraging start to life in north London, notably lofting a deft pass over the top of Manchester City’s backline to create Gabriel Martinelli’s late equaliser in September. With Ødegaard out until at least next month, Arteta will be counting on more of those telling contributions.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Learn Updated Martin Odegaard Injury Return Timeline—Report.
