Manchester City will face Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League this Sunday.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the availability of Martin Odegaard ahead of the crucial fixture against Manchester City.
Odegaard, who sustained an injury during Norway’s Nations League match against Austria, was absent from the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur. Prior to that game, Arteta had refrained from specifying how long the club’s captain would be sidelined, as they awaited the results of scans.
From the start, it appeared unlikely that the midfielder—who needed crutches to walk during the international break—would play against Manchester City. Arteta has now confirmed that Odegaard will not be available for the match.
“After the recent scans, it’s clear there’s some damage, particularly to one of the ankle ligaments,” Arteta said. “It’s a significant injury, so we’re going to be without him for a while.
“He’s our captain and one of the most influential players in the squad. Our style of play is closely tied to how he performs and leads. This will be a big challenge for the team to adapt and show a different side of ourselves.”
On a more positive note, summer signing Riccardo Calafiori returned to training on Wednesday ahead of their Champions League clash against Atalanta, having also suffered an injury while representing his national team. However, another recent signing, Mikel Merino, is still recovering from a shoulder fracture and is not expected to return until next month.
Meanwhile, there is little progress on the recovery of Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has yet to make an appearance this season due to injury. Arteta commented on the defender’s situation, saying, “At the moment, it’s hard to say [when he will return].
“The initial recovery phase has been slow. The medical team would be better suited to provide more information on that. He hasn’t resumed training yet.”
