Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been one of the best players in the Premier League since joining the Gunners from Real Madrid, spreading his wings as one of world football’s best modern playmakers under coach Mikel Arteta.
With Odegaard pulling the strings, Arsenal are perennial Premier League title contenders and one step closer towards returning to a Champions League Final, with the 25-year-old coming off a 10-assist season after notching 15 goals in 2022/23.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, it looks like they may have to face arch rivals Tottenham in the North London derby this coming Sunday without the services of their superstar midfielder.
Odegaard went down with a left ankle injury during the September international “break”, getting caught with Austria star playmaker Christoph Baumgartner at around 67 minutes in Norway’s 2-1 victory in the UEFA Nations League.
He had to be helped off the pitch by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, who scored the late winner for Norway.
Norway team doctor Ola Sand told Norwegian outlet TV2 that Odegaard has an ankle sprain and will either require an ultrasound or an MRI to rule out a more serious injury, likely depending on how the midfielder feels on Tuesday after the game.
Arsenal vs. Tottenham is one of the most heated and unpredictable fixtures on the Premier League calendar, especially now that Tottenham are back to being Champions League contenders under Ange Postecoglou.
Following Declan Rice’s suspension for a silly red card, Arsenal could be faced with missing their two best midfielders if Odegaard is indeed unable to play due to this ankle injury.
Hopefully, Odegaard can swiftly recover. After this fixture against Tottneham, Arsenal will face Europa League champions Atalanta in the Champions League on Sept. 19 then Manchester City on Sept. 22.
Odegaard’s injury couldn’t come at a worse time for Arsenal. The 25-year-old has been solid to start the 2024/25 Premier League season with 1.7 key passes, 1.7 dribbles completed, and 1.0 fouls drawn per game for the Gunners.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other major outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.