Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Martin Ødegaard’s ankle injury will keep him out of action until after the October international break.
Ødegaard sustained the injury on September 9 during Norway’s UEFA Nations League victory over Austria. Following the match, national team doctor Ola Sand assessed the situation and ruled the midfielder out for three weeks. However, Arteta has been cautious in his comments regarding Ødegaard’s availability, finally addressing the issue on Tuesday before the club’s Carabao Cup third-round match against Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium.
“I believe it will be a matter of weeks,” Arteta stated when discussing Ødegaard’s expected absence. “I can’t specify exactly how long, but while we might get a surprise, it’s unlikely he’ll return before the international break.”
This situation means Arsenal will have to manage without their captain for upcoming matches against Bolton, Leicester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Southampton. Their first game after the international break is set for October 19 against Bournemouth.
Ben White is currently dealing with an unspecified fitness issue, while Arteta has confirmed that Oleksandr Zinchenko will be sidelined for “a few weeks” due to a calf injury. Additionally, Mikel Merino is unavailable after fracturing his shoulder, and Takehiro Tomiyasu is also out with a knee injury.
Arsenal faces further uncertainty as Gabriel Martinelli, Jurriën Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, and David Raya are all doubtful for the upcoming match against Bolton. With backup goalkeeper Neto cup-tied, the club may need to rely on 16-year-old Jack Porter to start on Wednesday night.
“Let’s assess how they are today, and we’ll make a decision based on that if we think it’s a possibility,” Arteta stated.
When asked about the possibility of rotating heavily with 10 changes like other major teams in the competition, Arteta responded, “At the moment, we can’t do that because we don’t have another 10 players available.”
When did Mikel Arteta join Arsenal as a player?
Mikel Arteta joined Arsenal as a player in 2011. He played for the Gunners until 2016 when he retired as a player. After retiring, he became the club’s assistant manager and then took over as the head coach in 2019.
How many trophies has Mikel Arteta won as Arsenal manager?
Mikel Arteta was named Arsenal manager in 2019, and he has won just the FA Cup at the conclusion of his first season in charge. Arteta and his Arsenal team had been trophyless for four seasons in a row, with the exception of two Community Shields.
