Odegaard's Significant Ankle Injury a Setback for Arsenal, Says Arteta

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that captain Martin Odegaard has a "quite significant" ankle ligament injury following an incident during Norway's Nations League victory over Austria on 9 September, Premier League reported. Odegaard experienced sharp pain after a foul by Christoph Baumgartner, requiring intervention from physios before leaving the pitch.

Upon returning to Arsenal, an MRI scan revealed ligament damage, ruling him out of Arsenal's 1-0 win over Tottenham in the north London derby and the upcoming Champions League match against Atalanta. Arteta stated, "The scan showed some damage around the ligaments in the ankle, so we are going to miss him. It's something quite significant, so we are going to lose him for a while. Hopefully not months."

The 25-year-old midfielder's absence will also affect Arsenal's visit to Manchester City in the Premier League. Arteta highlighted Odegaard's importance: "He’s our captain and one of the biggest, most consistent players in our team. Our identity is closely linked to how he plays and behaves."

Statistical analysis shows that Arsenal's win percentage has suffered without Odegaard. Since his joining in January 2021, the club won 66.4% of their matches with him starting compared to 55% without him. Likewise, their goals-per-match average also drops from 2.1 when he starts to 1.6 in his absence, with the number of shots per game decreasing from 15.9 to 13.

Arteta acknowledged the challenges ahead: "It’s a big test to see how we can show a different face. We have other players and options that can be very effective."

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