Arsenal confirmed that Martin Odegard suffered a knee ligament injury during his victory at West Ham United on Saturday. The midfielder was replaced in the first half, and initially tried to play before returning to the grass. He was later found on a knee brace, confirming the severity of the problem.
Odegaard suffered a medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee and forced him to withdraw from the Norwegian team. He was initially called out by his national team, but retreated for his latest set. Arsenal confirmed the news on Sunday and revealed that Odegard will remain in London during an international break for treatment.
They stated: “Martin will continue to be evaluated and treated by the medical team at Soba Realty Training Center during the international window, with the aim of returning to action as soon as possible.”
It’s not exactly clear how long Odegaard will be on the sidelines, but Arsenal hopes he will come back for an away trip after an international break.
Mikel Arteta offered a tough prediction after his final mouth whip with West Ham, saying, “It was a collision, knee to the knee. I don’t look very positive at this point. He was immediately uncomfortable.
“I just spoke to him and he’s not positive about it, he’s wearing braces. We have to wait and see from the doctor, but we weren’t very lucky either.
“I haven’t kept him for any reason since the start of the season. I’ve had his shoulder twice and this injury. I have to wait for the extent of that injury.
“We find a solution, but obviously he is our captain, a player who gives us a completely different dimension to what we can do with an offense.
Odegard became the first player in Premier League history, replaced before halftime with three consecutive starts replaced by Hammer.
Declan Rice was withdrawn due to obvious back issues at the end of the match. He appeared to grab his back as he ran across the pitch, but no further updates on his condition have been issued.
The midfielder has not yet withdrawn from the English team, but this could change ahead of the match against the three Lions on Thursday night.
