Arsenal injury latest as important Martin Odegaard update drops before FA Cup tie

The Arsenal captain first picked up a minor knee issue during the Gunners' 1-1 draw at Brentford last month, and although Martin Odegaard returned against Tottenham, he has since been sidelined

Norway manager Stale Solbakken has claimed Martin Odegaard's injury is not serious and hinted he could return in late March during Arsenal's crucial Premier League run‑in. The Gunners have been without their captain for their last two league games against Chelsea and Brighton.

"There is nothing serious about Martin. The most important thing is that he recovers completely and is good for us in the summer," Solbakken told Norwegian press. "For those of us who care about the World Cup, it’s not a disaster that he’s getting some breaks now.

"He's going to rebuild and be crucial for Arsenal in April–May and maybe late March."

Another injury concern for Mikel Arteta is William Saliba, with the Arsenal boss confirming the defender 'turned his ankle' against Chelsea last weekend. "He managed to finish the game somehow, but he was too sore to play against Brighton," Arteta said this week.

With Arsenal in FA Cup fifth‑round action against Mansfield Town on Saturday, the match will give Saliba extra time to recover ahead of next week's Champions League clash at Bayer Leverkusen.

As for other injury news, Ben White remains sidelined with a knock, having now missed Arsenal's last three matches.

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There is still no clear timeline for his return, while Max Dowman stepped up his recovery from an ankle injury last week by playing 45 minutes for the under‑21s. He then made the bench for the Gunners against the Seagulls.

Mikel Merino remains the long‑term absentee after undergoing surgery on his right foot last month. He is expected to be out for a lengthy period, though no clear timeline has been set for his return.

"You're talking about bone healing, so you need to be patient," Arteta said last month.

"You respect the timings, and I'm sure Mikel is going to do everything that he possibly can to speed up the process.

"We're talking about months, whether it's three, four or five, we don't know."

One positive for Arsenal was Arteta confirming that no fresh fitness problems were suffered against Brighton, with games against Mansfield Town (FA Cup), Leverkusen (twice in the Champions League) and Everton (Premier League) to come.

Arsenal came away 1-0 winners on the south coast on Wednesday night, while Manchester City dropped points after being held to a 2-2 draw at home by Nottingham Forest.

Seven points now separate the sides at the top of the Premier League table, though Pep Guardiola's team have a game in hand against Crystal Palace.