Arsenal suffered a major injury blow during the international break as Martin Odegaard picked up an ankle issue ahead of the North London derby.
The Gunners’ midfield has been decimated just before their trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 15. Mikel Merino will be missing with a shoulder injury whilst Declan Rice is suspended for the trip to Tottenham.
Odegaard is now a major doubt for the match as he picked up a nasty-looking ankle injury in action for Norway on September 9.
The midfielder was seen returning to London on a private jet entering the plane on crutches suggesting bad news for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Now, the Norwegian national team doctor has been speaking about the severity and whether the 25-year-old will be able to play Tottenham.
Odegaard set to miss a ‘minimum of three weeks’ with injury
Odegaard is likely to be sidelined with an ankle injury for a ‘minimum of three weeks’, according to Norway national team doctor, Ola Sand.
The national team doctor confirmed that whilst it is not the worst-case scenario of a fracture, the injury still looks to be bad.
Sand told VG: “Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks. Anything other than that is just a bonus. And then it can take longer.
“Both Ståle [Norway manager] and I know that his selection [for the next international break] hangs in the balance. It is not excluded. But we have to wait and see both what the MRI images show and how quickly he responds to treatment.”
This means that Arsenal’s captain will very likely miss the North London derby although official scans will determine how long he will be sidelined for.
Arsenal’s possible midfield vs Tottenham without Odegaard, Rice and Merino
Arteta will now have to plan for the North London derby without all three of his first-choice midfielders with Odegaard now out.
As mentioned, Rice and Merino have already been ruled out of the trip across North London and now they have lost another midfielder.
Kai Havertz is set to be the most likely option to replace Odegaard with the forward dropping back and Leandro Trossard taking his place in attack. Joringho may also have to make his first appearance of the season.
Possible Arsenal line-up vs Tottenham (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Partey, Jorginho, Havertz; Martinelli, Trossard, Saka.
Possible Tottenham line-up vs Arsenal (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Van de Ven, Romero, Udogie; Bissouma, Maddison, Sarr; Son, Kulusevski, Solanke.
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