Martin Odegaard is set for another spell on the sidelines as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had already made replacement promise
Martin Odegaard is expected to miss more than the next month of action because of the knee injury he suffered against West Ham United. After damage was sustained to his medial collateral ligament, the club captain had to be replaced by Martin Zubimendi.
This was the third home league game in a row that Odegaard suffered a problem before the half-time whistle and needed to come off, an instance that had never happened before to any player. Martin Zubimendi came on in a midfield reshuffle that saw Eberechi Eze move into the right attacking midfield role and the Gunners went on to win the game.
Odegaard could return after the international break when Arsenal face Tottenham in the North London Derby. In the meantime, there are plenty of games he will miss and the squad will again need to cope with an extended absence.
Odegaard missed 14 games for club and country last season with an ankle injury, and he looks set to miss close to a similar number. Ethan Nwaneri replaced him on the two occasions he injured his shoulder in-game at the Emirates Stadium.
Many fans have been asking whether the 18-year-old is getting enough game time. Currently away with England’s under-21s and performing well, the door has again opened for the youngster.
While Eze is sure to be the main protagonist in covering the injured Odegaard, Nwaneri’s exposure to minutes, particularly from the bench and in potential cup and Champions League games, might therefore increase.
Arteta has already been very clear that he doesn’t work on the expectations of what a player should be exposed to at a particular age in terms of minutes. He effectively promised that Nwaneri would indeed play more, and now it seems the moment has arrived for that commitment to be fulfilled.
“I don’t know, but I don’t work with expectations,” he said. “I work with what the boys can provide in the context that the team is playing in that moment.
“And Ethan has played two games in the Premier League very early because of an injury of Martin as well. He played in other competitions, and he will play more.
“With Myles, it’s the same. Sometimes it’s form, sometimes it’s the fact that we want to do certain things in relation to the opposition, and that’s it.”
