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Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard has remained in London for further examination of the knee injury he picked up against West Ham. The Gunners' creative force was scheduled to jet off to Norway on Saturday evening following the Premier League clash, ready to join his national squad.
Now, however, he has withdrawn from the team. It's believed that the trip was delayed as Odegaard's knee is currently braced, sparking concerns over potential damage. The incident occurred during the first half of the 2-0 victory over the Irons when Odegaard attempted a tackle on Crysencio Summerville, resulting in a knee-on-knee collision.
Initially, he tried to continue playing before kicking the ball out of play to receive additional treatment. Despite attempting to carry on once more, Odegaard eventually conceded defeat, much to the disappointment of Mikel Arteta.
In his post-match press conference, the Spanish manager said of Odegaard: "I think he had a clash knee-to-knee and immediately he was uncomfortable. I just spoke to him, he's not positive about it. He's got a brace on, we'll have to wait and see from the doctors. But we haven't been very lucky with that either."
The 26 year old, who recently recovered from a shoulder problem, has now been forced to leave the pitch in three consecutive Premier League home matches that he's started.
Adding to the concern, Norway are set to face Israel in a crucial World Cup qualification match in Oslo next Saturday, as they aim to extend their lead over Italy at the top of Group I.
The Norwegian national team is eagerly awaiting updates from Arsenal's medical team regarding Martin Odegaard's fitness before deciding on his involvement in the upcoming camp. They're also set to play New Zealand in a friendly on October 14.
Mikel Arteta, speaking after Arsenal's victory on Saturday, shared concerns about Odegaard's latest injury setback. "I think he had a clash, knee-to-knee and immediately he was uncomfortable. I just spoke to him and he is not positive about it," said Arteta.
Odegaard, now sporting a brace, has left both the club and country in suspense. "We will have to wait from the doctors but we have been very unlucky with that. Yeah we haven't had him since the start for one reason or another. The shoulder twice and then this injury."
Arteta emphasised the need for patience as they assess the injury's severity. "We have to wait and see the extent of the injury.
We will have to find solutions but obviously is our captain and is a player that gives us a completely different dimension with things that he can do, especially in the attack. Let's wait and hopefully it is not that bad."
Injury woes don't end with Odegaard for Arsenal, as Declan Rice requested to be substituted in the 79th minute during the same match due to back pain, casting doubt over his availability for England's upcoming games against Wales and Latvia.
"Well, he's not alright because he asked me to come off, so that's a shame," Arteta remarked. "He had pain in his back and he could not carry on, which is something very unusual for Declan, so we'll have to assess him and see how he is."
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