Arsenal Captain Delivers Encouraging Fitness News
Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard has delivered a significant boost to the Premier League leaders by confirming his recovery from injury is progressing well. The Norwegian midfielder, who has been sidelined since early October with a knee problem, shared the positive update while on international duty.
Road to Recovery and Title Charge
The creative midfielder has missed nearly two months of action, forcing table-topping Arsenal to reshuffle their midfield pack as they pursue their first Premier League crown since 2004. During his absence, Declan Rice has established himself as a midfield mainstay, with £60 million signing Eberechi Eze filling the creative void left by the Norwegian captain.
Speaking to TV2 while away with Norway, Odegaard provided Gunners fans with reason for optimism. "It's moving forward," he confirmed about his rehabilitation. "The match today [Sunday] came a little too early. But it's starting to look better, so hopefully I'll be back soon."
Injury Concerns Across the Squad
Arsenal's injury situation extends beyond their captain, creating concern for manager Mikel Arteta. Defender Gabriel limped off while playing for Brazil at the Emirates on Saturday, adding to the growing treatment room issues.
The club has also been without several other key players recently, including:
- Viktor Gyokeres
- Noni Madueke
- Gabriel Martinelli
- Kai Havertz
Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori also left international duty nursing a hip injury, though it's understood he should be fit for this weekend's club action.
When questioned about potential returns after the international break, Arteta remained cautiously optimistic. "Some of them, all of them, I don't know," the Arsenal manager stated. "There are a lot of things that have to happen in the next two weeks and everything has to be perfect, but I think we'll be very close with most of them to be in a really strong position."
Meanwhile, Odegaard's Norway enjoyed international success, thrashing Italy 4-1 on Sunday with Erling Haaland scoring twice, and the side has qualified for next summer's World Cup.
