Mikel Arteta is hopeful Arsenal will be able to welcome captain Martin Ødegaard back from injury in time for Sunday’s trip to Newcastle United.
A shoulder problem has kept the Norway skipper out of Arsenal’s last three games across all competitions, while two of his three Premier League starts have ended inside the first half because of the issue.
His absence could be coming to an end soon as Arteta confirmed Ødegaard’s return to training on Friday, insisting he is the sort of player capable of making an impact so soon after a spell on the sidelines.
“Martin will be training with us the next two days, so hopefully he'll be available for the game,” Arteta began.
“Martin certainly has the capacity not to do too much and not to train too much and go in two days and perform at the highest level because he’s naturally a super gifted fit player.”
Bukayo Saka is expected to be available despite suffering a minor injury scare in midweek, but Arsenal are still awaiting a final verdict on the knee injury suffered by fellow winger Noni Madueke, although he is not believed to have torn his ACL.
The belief is that Madueke will be out for around two months, bringing an abrupt end to what was an electric start to his life at Arsenal following his £52 million ($69.6 million) switch from Chelsea during the summer.
Arsenal began the sixth round of Premier League fixtures sitting in second place, five points behind leaders Liverpool, but face a tough test to hold on to that spot. The Gunners have not scored in any of their last three trips to St James’ Park, losing by an aggregate scoreline of 4–0.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mikel Arteta Reveals Key Player Could Return vs. Newcastle.
