Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard faces an uncertain wait after suffering an ankle injury, putting his participation in Sunday’s North London derby in doubt.
Reports from Norway suggest that the midfielder could be sidelined for up to a month.
Concerns grew further when Odegaard was spotted boarding a private plane on crutches, sparking alarm among Arsenal supporters.
The Gunners will be hoping for a shorter layoff, and Odegaard is set to undergo scans in the coming days to determine the extent of the damage.
He picked up the injury during Norway’s match against Austria on Monday night, following a challenge from Christoph Baumgartner.
Although Odegaard was able to walk off the pitch and did not require a protective boot, the seriousness of the injury remains uncertain.
Norway’s head coach Ståle Solbakken has expressed concern, telling Norwegian outlet VG that Odegaard could be out until the next international break, with Norway’s next match scheduled for October 10 against Slovenia.
If the injury keeps him sidelined for that long, it would be a significant blow for Arsenal, who face a challenging week with three crucial games – Sunday’s North London derby against Tottenham, their first Champions League match of the season at Atalanta, and a clash against Manchester City the following weekend.
In addition to Odegaard’s injury, Arsenal have confirmed that new signing Mikel Merino will be out for six to eight weeks due to a fractured shoulder.
Meanwhile, Declan Rice will miss the derby through suspension after receiving a red card in last month’s match against Brighton.
The absences leave Arsenal short-handed ahead of one of their most important matches of the season.
Adding to the complications, Arsenal will be forced to wear an alternative kit for the North London derby due to a kit clash.
The Premier League and PGMOL have ruled that Arsenal’s traditional red home kit, which features white on the back, clashes with Tottenham’s kit.
As a result, Arsenal will wear their black kit for the fixture.
The club had initially requested permission to wear their red kit, but the request was denied, as the Premier League had warned of a potential clash during the summer.
Tottenham will face a similar issue and will have to wear their away kit during the return fixture at the Emirates.
Finally, Arsenal fans may not be pleased with the appointment of referee Jarred Gillett for Sunday’s derby.
Gillett drew the ire of supporters after a series of controversial decisions, including failing to send off Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera for grabbing Kai Havertz by the throat on the opening weekend.
He also sparked outrage for not taking action when Mosquera was involved in a bizarre incident with Gabriel Jesus.
In that match, Jesus was booked for his reaction, despite allegedly being grabbed inappropriately by Mosquera.
Gillett was also in charge when Havertz’s late goal was disallowed against Aston Villa last season.
His upcoming appointment means he will have refereed two of Arsenal’s first four games this season.
Read more: Premier League panel final ruling on Declan Rice’s red card against Brighton revealed
Liverpool injury latest and possible return date for Curtis Jones
Arne Slot told how to use Trent Alexander-Arnold in Liverpool central midfield
