Arsenal had every reason to worry after the international break, as it has cost them one of their best players. Christoph Baumgartner made a challenge, and Martin Odegaard was left on the ground with a painful grimace. Holding his ankle, he couldn’t leave the pitch without assistance.For days, the Emirates staff anxiously waited for the swelling to go down so the captain could undergo all the necessary tests and determine the extent of the damage. The news isn’t promising – it’s not good for Arsenal. Martin Odegaard is set for a spell on the sidelines. How long? Even Mikel Arteta dares not predict how long he will be without his key playmaker.UCL: City are close to a new record, but Inter held on in ManchesterBut ahead of the Champions League clash against Atalanta, Arteta confirmed there is a problem.”He recently had a scan, and the tests showed some damage, especially to one of the ligaments in his ankle. We’re going to lose him for a while,” Arteta admitted, acknowledging the injury’s seriousness, and added:”He’s our captain, one of the most important and best players in our team. The way he plays and conducts himself gives us our identity. This will be a big test for the team, and an opportunity to show a different side, to see how capable we are of playing at a high level without him.”It’s not a minor issue, as it initially appeared. For now, one thing is certain – the Norwegian will miss the match against Atalanta. It’s also likely he’ll miss the derby against Manchester City this weekend. There’s never a good time for an injury, but this one has come at a particularly bad time for Arsenal.🗣️ Arteta on Odegaard: 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. pic.twitter.com/45YPYACbUp— Football Talk (@FootballTalkHQ) September 18, 2024 Last season in the Premier League, Martin Odegaard was the third-best assist provider, someone who created the most chances for his teammates. He was also first in ball recoveries in the final third of the pitch. His contribution was massive, shaping the team’s play…Arsenal will face a challenging period without him. However, if there’s any consolation for Mikel Arteta, it’s that Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafiori have recovered, and Declan Rice has served his suspension. Now, they are missing only Mikel Merino, who is still awaiting his debut for the Gunners, and their most creative player.- Rice is suspended- Odegaard is injured- Calafiori is injured- Merino is injuredArteta against Tottenham: pic.twitter.com/m8rZJKGVMY— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) September 12, 2024 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 1TuesdayJuventus – PSV 3-1 (2-0)/Yildiz 21, McKennie 27, Gonzales 52 – Saibari 90+3/Young Boys – Aston Villa 0-3 (0-2)/Tielemans 27, Ramsey 38, Onana 85/AC Milan – Liverpool 1-3 (1-2)/Pulisic 3 – Konate 23, van Dijk 41, Szoboszlai 67/Bayern – Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 (3-0)/Kane 19 pen, 58, 63 pen, 78 pen Guerreiro 33, Olise 38, 61, Sane 85, Goretzka 90+2 – Petkovic 49, Ogiwara 50/Real Madrid – Stuttgart 3-1 (0-0)/Mbappe 46, Rudiger 83, Endrick 90+5 – Undav 68/Sporting – Lille 2-0 (1-0)/Gyokeres 38, Debast 65/WednesdayBologna – Shakhtar 0-0Sparta Praha – Salzburg 3-0 (2-0)/Kairinen 2, Olatunji 42, Laci 58/Celtic- Slovan B. 5-1 (1-0)/Scales 17, Furuhashi 47, Englels 56, Maeda 70, Idah 86/Club Brugge – Dortmund 0-3 (0-0)/Gittens 76, 86, Guirassy 90+5 pen/Man.City – Inter 0-0PSG – Girona 1-0 (0-0)/Gazzaniga 90 og/Thursday19:45: (4.20) Crvena Zvezda (3.60) Benfica (1.95)19:45: (4.40) Feyenoord (3.70) Leverkusen (1.80)22:00: (4.10) Atalanta (3.50) Arsenal (1.90)22:00: (1.80) Atl.Madrid (3.60) RB Leipzig (4.60)22:00: (1.90) Brest (3.60) Sturm (4.50)22:00: (4.60) Monaco (3.60) Barcelona (1.80)***odds are subject to change***
