Martin Odegaard, the captain of Arsenal, may be out for several weeks following an ugly-looking ankle injury he sustained while playing for his country.
In the second half of Norway's 2-1 victory against Austria at home in the Nations League on Monday night, the 25-year-old was substituted off when he twisted his ankle dangerously while battling Christoph Baumgartner for a stray ball.
Following many minutes of treatment, Odegaard was replaced, and following the match, Norway manager Stale Solbakken said the injury didn't appear to be getting better: "It looked bad in the dressing room as well."
"We know there was an ankle sprain since I noticed he was seated with the physiotherapists surrounding him. Nevertheless, he was unable to proceed.
Yes, it's a sprain, and as those of us who played football know, if the ligaments aren't ripped, things should work out okay with any luck.
I doubt [Mikel] Arteta will give me a call tonight to offer his congratulations."
Ola Sand, the team doctor for Norway, continued, "He hurt his ankle a little. We'll watch what transpires during the evening and tomorrow to determine what has to be done.
Since treating an ankle sprain requires time and effort, we will essentially have to wait and see how things develop.
When we get back to the hotel, we will inspect him. Perhaps we can examine it using ultrasonography. Tomorrow, an MRI will be performed if we are still unclear."
With a challenging schedule ahead of them, Arsenal is severely harmed by the news of Odegaard's injury.
On Sunday, they will play their first Premier League match away to Tottenham Hotspur, a rival team in north London. After that, Mikel Arteta's team takes on Atalanta in the Champions League before visiting Manchester City to cap off a demanding three-game road trip.
Due to suspension, the Gunners will be missing important midfield player Declan Rice for the trip to Spurs. Additionally, summer acquisition Mikel Merino is sidelined due to a shoulder issue.
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