Martin Odegaard suffers 'significant' ankle injury as Mikel Arteta offers bleak update
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered on international duty earlier this month
by Dan Marsh · The MirrorMikel Arteta has confirmed Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard will be missing "for a while" after suffering "significant" damage to his ankle during the recent international break.
Odegaard missed Sunday's North London derby due to the issue, though it remained unclear at the time how long he would be absent for.
But on the eve of Arsenal's Champions League opener against Atalanta, Arteta has delivered a fairly bleak update.
The Spaniard revealed: "After recent scans the scans showed that he’s got some damage especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle. It’s something quite significant so we’re going to lose him for a while."
The news comes on a pivotal week for Arsenal, who travel to title rivals Manchester City on Sunday in their next Premier League fixture.
When he was asked how the team will get by without their captain, Arteta responded: "He’s our captain. He’s been one of the biggest and best players in our team. Our identity is very linked to how he plays and behaves. It’s a big test for the team to see how able we are to show a different face."
Manchester City have problems of their own to worry about ahead of Sunday's seismic title showdown, though, after their midfield talisman, Kevin De Bruyne, was withdrawn midway through their dour 0-0 draw with Inter Milan with an injury scare.
The Belgian maestro appeared to hurt himself towards the end of the first half but carried on until the break even though he looked uncomfortable. He did not re-emerge for the second half, however, with Pep Guardiola saying post-match that he didn't yet know whether or not De Bruyne would be available to face the Gunners.
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"I haven't spoken to the doctors yet. I will have more information when I do," the Spaniard said. "We played so good, and I love my team. We are a fantastic team.
"But Inter are the masters of defending, and in transition they are really strong as well. I’m really pleased for the performance we did. It is the beginning of the season, so these players will be better."
While Odegaard will not play any part in Arsenal's match with Atalanta, there was better news on the injury front elsewhere with both Riccardo Calafiori and Bukayo Saka back in training.
Arsenal struggled on the road in Europe last season, but Arteta insisted that the Gunners would need to be at it both home and away if they are to advance to the latter 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," the Arsenal chief said. "We have to continue to be very consistent. In Europe it’s very tough to win just like in the Premier League. Hopefully we can be better.
"You don’t know the opponents that well and then boxes become crucial. There are small moments that define the games. In Europe you’d better be at your best."
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