Arsenal[1] captain Martin Odegaard[2] is expected to be sidelined for a further six weeks with knee ligament damage.
Odegaard, 26, was forced off in the 30th minute of Arsenal’s 2-0 win over West Ham[3] before the international break.
The Norwegian sustained the injury in a clash with Crysencio Summerville in what manager Mikel Arteta[4] described as a ‘knee on knee’ collision.
Arsenal did not initially disclose the timeframe for the midfielder’s recovery, only confirming that he had done damage to the medial collateral ligament in his left knee.
But it has now been reported by BBC[5] Sport that he will be out until the end of the next set of international fixtures in mid-November.
It means that Odegaard will likely miss four Premier League[6] fixtures and a further two in the Champions League[7].
The injury is yet another blow for Arteta and his team, who have been without their captain for the majority of the campaign so far.
By being forced off against West Ham, Odegaard set an unwanted Premier League record by becoming the first player to be substituted before half-time in three consecutive matches.
The Arsenal captain had previously been taken off in wins over Leeds and Nottingham Forest due to an ongoing shoulder problem.
More to follow.
References
- ^ Arsenal (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Martin Odegaard (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ West Ham (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Mikel Arteta (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ BBC (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Premier League (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Champions League (www.dailymail.co.uk)