Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been missed badly due to continued knee problems, which are a chronic issue for him and have most recently kept him out for several games since the end of February.
Although Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed the blow that Odegaard will miss the decisive second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against German upstarts Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night, he did have some better news on the Norwegian superstar.
Arteta told reporters at the press conference before Leverkusen, via AFC Xtra, “Martin Ødegaard is pushing hard to be ready for the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.”
That is massive, massive news for Arsenal is Odegaard can be out there on Sunday for the League Cup Final against Manchester City, who are also their top Premier League title rivals yet again.
Odegaard’s control and creativity are necessary against that kind of opponent, and while it is still not a guarantee he plays, let alone starts, against Man City, it is huge for Arsenal fans to hear that Odegaard is pushing and is in play for the big game.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.