Arsenal may face an injury concern with captain Martin Ødegaard ahead of a crucial week that kicks off with the north London derby against Tottenham.
The Gunners’ skipper sustained a knock from a challenge by Yankuba Minteh during the first half of last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Brighton.
Ødegaard received treatment on the pitch but continued playing, although it took him some time to shake off the issue.
His performance was notably subdued before he was substituted for Gabriel Martinelli with just over 15 minutes remaining at the Emirates Stadium.
The 25-year-old has since joined the Norway squad for their Nations League Group B3 fixtures.
Norway’s campaign starts with a match against Kazakhstan in Almaty on Friday, followed by a visit from Austria to Oslo on Monday evening.
Norway coach Ståle Solbakken has now provided an update on Ødegaard’s fitness, which could be cause for concern given the recent injury.
“I think it’s another bang,” Solbakken said on Thursday.
“I was about to say, I think it is something other than the bang, so to speak.”
Arsenal fans are anxiously awaiting news on whether Martin Ødegaard will feature for Norway in their upcoming match against Kazakhstan on Friday.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta is facing a challenging situation with his midfield options, especially with the crucial fixtures approaching after the international break.
Arsenal will already be without Declan Rice for the north London derby against Tottenham on September 15.
Rice received a controversial second yellow card for delaying the restart during the match against Brighton, resulting in his suspension.
Fortunately, Rice will return for the significant clash against Manchester City on September 22, as his ban is limited to just one game.
He will also be available for Arsenal’s opening match in the revamped Champions League away to current Europa League champions Atalanta in Italy on September 19.
However, new £31.6 million signing Mikel Merino is set to miss nearly two months of action after fracturing his shoulder during his first training session at London Colney following his transfer from Real Sociedad.
These absences have already created a midfield dilemma for Arteta ahead of the Spurs match.
The situation could worsen if Ødegaard is also unavailable due to fitness concerns.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus might make his return against Tottenham as he progresses in his recovery from a groin injury.
However, defender Takehiro Tomiyasu remains sidelined with a knee problem, and Kieran Tierney is still dealing with a hamstring injury sustained during Euro 2024 with Scotland.
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