Arsenal have received a significant fitness boost with captain Martin Odegaard cleared to start for Norway against Wales, while defender William Saliba is reportedly making strong progress in his recovery from a back injury.
Odegaard cleared for Norway duty
Odegaard was the subject of fresh fitness fears last weekend after a heavy challenge from Bernardo Silva during Norway's Nations League defeat by Portugal. The tackle, which saw Odegaard kicked in the back of the left ankle, prompted an angry reaction from the midfielder, who confronted Silva and was seen shouting at the former Manchester City star.
After the match, Odegaard said the challenge "doesn't belong on a football field" and was seen limping away from the stadium in Oslo. The 27-year-old was unable to train with his team-mates on Tuesday due to pain in his ankle, with Norway's medical team in "continuous contact" with Arsenal, but he still travelled to Cardiff.
Updates from Norway head coach Stale Solbakken, team manager Brede Hangeland and team doctor Ola Sand reported improvement on Wednesday after a scan and an X-ray revealed no serious damage. Solbakken was initially uncertain whether Odegaard would be available, but he has now deemed him fit enough to start and captain Norway in Thursday's Nations League Group A4 contest at Cardiff City Stadium.
Saliba making progress
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will hope Odegaard emerges from the contest unscathed, with the midfielder in excellent form this season, scoring four goals in eight appearances across all competitions and starting all but one match. Odegaard was hampered by injury issues during Arsenal's title-winning campaign last term, suffering a recurring shoulder issue before damaging knee ligaments, starting only 16 of their 38 Premier League games.
In other Arsenal injury news, French outlet L'Equipe has reported that Saliba is making good progress in his recovery from a lingering back injury exacerbated during the World Cup, which did not require surgery. The report claims Saliba is now back running following a latest X-ray and is aiming to return around November.
Other injury updates
It remains unclear how long Kai Havertz will be sidelined after injuring his hamstring while playing for Germany against the Netherlands last week. Arsenal are expected to have Declan Rice fit for their Premier League return against Leeds next weekend after he withdrew from the England squad at the start of the extended three-week break.
Ezri Konsa could feature for England against Croatia on Saturday after being an unused substitute in the win over the Czech Republic following a knock suffered against Spain. Fellow defenders Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera reportedly look set to be fit to face Leeds along with Rice, according to football.london. Piero Hincapie, meanwhile, is said to remain doubtful with a muscular injury that saw him omitted from the latest Ecuador squad, alongside Chelsea's Moises Caicedo.
