Norway boss issues fresh injury update on Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard

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Martin Odegaard has missed Arsenal's past two matches with a knee issue that he initially picked up against Brentford last month

Norway boss Stale Solbakken has eased any lingering concerns over Martin Odegaard's knee injury.

The Arsenal captain was absent on Wednesday night as the Gunners recorded a vital 1-0 away victory in the Premier League at Brighton.

Odegaard picked up a knee issue after coming off the bench at Brentford last month when he attempted to prevent Keane Lewis-Potter from equalising for the Bees following Michael Kayode's long throw.

He was later spotted hobbling through the mixed zone and back onto the team bus but he returned to play 13 minutes off the bench against Tottenham after missing the FA Cup demolition of Wigan Athletic and the dramatic draw at Wolves.

The attacking midfielder then missed the 2-1 home victory over Chelsea but Solbakken indicated that rest will benefit the 27-year-old ahead of this summer's World Cup.

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He told Viaplay: "There is nothing serious about Martin. The most important thing is that he recovers completely and is good for us in the summer.

"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."

Arteta said ahead of beating Chelsea: "Unfortunately Martin is still not feeling totally comfortable with that knee injury, and we decided not to risk him."

Speaking on Tuesday, the Spaniard appeared to indicate that Odegaard had an outside chance of making the game against Brighton, which of course didn't happen.

He explained when issuing a fitness update: “Martin is the other one, we’ll see. The rest are okay. [Rice] I hope so, he was much better today.”

Odegaard has endured an injury-hit season having only made 20 Premier League appearances this term. He twice suffered shoulder injuries earlier in the season against Leeds and Nottingham Forest, respectively.

He then suffered MCL knee ligament damage after clashing knees with West Ham's Crysencio Summerville during a 2-0 victory over the Hammers in October.

At the time, Odegaard set an unwanted Premier League record by becoming the first ever player to be subbed before half-time on three consecutive top-flight stars.

The former Real Madrid and Real Sociedad playmaker is set to captain his country at the World Cup despite missing their final three qualification matches with his knee injury.

Norway will square off against France and Senegal in Group I, though their final group opponent will be decided during this month's play-offs.

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