Mikel Arteta provides dark report on Odegaard's injury and says he will miss him.Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard could be destined for a protracted stay on the sidelines due to the ankle injury he sustained on international duty earlier this month.
Mikel Arteta has stated Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard will be out "for a while" after sustaining "significant" ankle injuries during the recent international break. Odegaard missed Sunday's North London derby owing to the issue, but it was unknown how long he would be missing. But, on the eve of Arsenal's Champions League start against Atalanta, Arteta has provided a somewhat dismal report.
The Spaniard revealed: "After recent scans, the scans showed that he has some damage, particularly to one of the ligaments in the ankle." We'll be without him for a while because it's a significant event. The announcement comes during a key week for Arsenal, who face championship rivals Manchester City on Sunday in their next Premier League match. When asked how the team would manage without its captain, Arteta replied, "He's our captain. He has been one of our team's most important and talented players. Our identity is strongly related to how he plays and behaves. It's a significant test for the team to see how well we can present a new face."
While Odegaard will miss Arsenal's encounter against Atalanta, there was good news on the injury front with Riccardo Calafiori and Bukayo Saka returning to training. The latter limped off in the closing moments of Sunday's 1-0 victory over archrivals Tottenham. Declan Rice will join them in the squad, having missing the Derby due to suspension. Arsenal struggled on the road in Europe last season, but Arteta claimed that the Gunners will need to be at it both home and away if they are to proceed to the later stages of the new-look competition.
"If we want to be at the level we want to be we have to be really good on the road and at home," according to the Arsenal manager. "We must continue to be very consistent. Winning in Europe is extremely difficult, just as it is in the Premier League. I hope we can improve."You don't know the opponents very well, thus boxes become important. There are a few moments that define the games. You'd better bring your A-game to Europe."
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