Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been ruled out until after the November international break after suffering a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury in his knee. The 26-year-old midfielder was forced off in the first half of Arsenal's 2-0 Premier League win over West Ham United.
Odegaard will miss Arsenal's next six matches, including Premier League fixtures against Fulham, Crystal Palace, Burnley, and Sunderland, as well as Champions League clashes with Atletico Madrid and Slavia Prague. He will also be absent for Norway's two international matches next month.
The injury is a significant blow to manager Mikel Arteta, who already has summer signing Noni Madueke sidelined with a knee problem. However, the return of vice-captain Bukayo Saka from injury provides some relief, as he scored in the win over West Ham that sent Arsenal top of the Premier League.
Arteta confirmed Odegaard's discomfort after a clash of knees, stating: 'I think he had a clash knee-to-knee and immediately he was uncomfortable. I just spoke to him, he's not positive about it. He's got a brace on, we'll have to wait and see from the doctors.'
Norway boss Stale Solbakken revealed Odegaard visited the squad for lunch before their 5-0 win over Israel, saying: 'Martin is a big part of us, he is our captain even though he doesn't play. He is a security factor for the group.'
The absence of Odegaard could open the door for Eberechi Eze to play in the No.10 role. Arsenal hope to have their captain back available after the November internationals, according to BBC Sport.
