Arsenal face north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon, but doubts remain over captain Martin Odegaard’s fitness hours before the match
Martin Odegaard is doubtful to play in the North London derby (Image: Getty Images)
Manager Mikel Arteta has suggested Martin Odegaard could have a big say in the north London derby even if he is ruled out. The Arsenal captain has missed the majority of this season due to various issues.
He was ruled out as Arsenal drew 2-2 with struggling Wolves in midweek. Gunners manager Arteta lamented the absence of his captain ahead of this week’s game against Tottenham Hotspur.
“We will miss him at the biggest part of the season,” Arteta said. “We see that the rate of his being able to contact us is far from ideal.
“But again, he’s been part of the journey this year, dealing with a lot of injuries and the departure of a lot of key players, same as we are now. And the team has done very well to maintain the level. Injuries are probably the worst part of our profession.”
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“And it’s difficult for a player to go through a series of big events and also understand Martin and understand how much he wants to be involved in the team. So, yeah, we had a very close relationship with him.”
Asked if Odegaard would still be able to hold a pre-match team talk even if restricted to the sidelines, Arteta said: “That depends. It usually comes from them. It’s up to them.”
“If someone wants to say something, or if they have discussed it with the leadership group that they really think it would make a difference on the day, they have complete freedom to do it.
“So if he wants to do that, he’s more than welcome. If it comes from them, it’ll be even more powerful.”
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Kai Havertz will also undergo a fitness test in the second half (Image: Getty Images)
Arteta has already spoken about Odegaard’s chances of being on the pitch on Sunday, as well as Kai Havertz’s fitness. Speaking about the pair in the pre-match press conference, he said: “Well, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow, but there’s a good chance they’ll be in the match.”
Arsenal desperately need a win to regain momentum towards winning the Premier League title. The Gunners currently have just a two-point advantage over Manchester City after Josep Guardiola’s side defeated Newcastle 2-1 on Saturday night.
Spurs also need three points for their own reasons, with the north London side having endured a miserable season so far. The Reds are just four points clear of the relegation zone ahead of Igor Tudor’s first game as manager.
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