Arsenal’s first home game of the new Premier League season was tainted by the sight of captain Martin Odegaard forced off in the first half of their thumping 5-0 win against Leeds United.
Odegaard sustained a right shoulder injury in the 14th minute when he fell after being pulled back by Leeds’ Anton Stach.
He instantly winced and held his shoulder during the tumble but continued to play on despite his obvious pain.
However, less than 10 minutes later he was back sitting on the ground receiving treatment from the physio as the discomfort wore on.
He returned to action once again momentarily but it wasn’t for much longer as Ethan Nwaneri came on in his place.
The Norwegian playmaker’s withdrawal will worry Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with his side travelling to reigning champions Liverpool next Sunday.
Martin Odegaard was clutching his right shoulder during the first half against Leeds United
The Arsenal captain tried to battle the discomfort but had to succumb to it on Saturday evening
It’s a worry for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with their next match against title rivals Liverpool
The Gunners captain speaks to the club’s medical staff about his issue after coming off
Speaking post-match, Arteta said he didn’t know the extent of his skipper’s problem: ‘We have already missed Kai [Havertz] this week and then with Martin it looks like a shoulder injury.
‘We don’t know the extent of that.’
The Gunners, who are top of the Premier League after thrashing Leeds, are also set to be without talisman Bukayo Saka too after he sustained an apparent hamstring injury in the second half on Saturday.
The England international pulled up on the pitch and was briefly attended to by medical staff, before signaling to his manager that he would need to be replaced.
Saka took his time to exit the field gingerly, and was greeted by his manager with a hug as he was swapped for Leandro Trossard.
The 23-year-old has cause for concern, even if his substitution was a precautionary one, after missing a large chunk of last season due to a hamstring tear.
Saka picked up the injury against Crystal Palace last December, and was forcibly sidelined until early April.
Arsenal’s No 7 underwent surgery before the end of 2024, and as he recovered, his absence from Arteta’s starting XI was deeply felt – with the playing having previously only missed out on 10 games during Arsenal’s last 172 matches in all competitions.
Arsenal will be left sweating the fitness of star man Bukayo Saka after he was forced off injured
There were worrying scenes at the Emirates as Saka was tended to on the pitch for some time
While Arteta was unsure about Odegaard, he has his concerns for Saka.
‘With Bukayo, while he was running and wrestling with a defender, he felt something in his hamstring,’ he said.
‘We will have to see, but I’m quite concerned about that.’