Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has not ruled out Martin Odegaard for Sunday’s North London derby, despite concerns over the midfielder’s fitness.
Odegaard sustained an ankle injury while on international duty with Norway, and the team doctor initially estimated a recovery time of around three weeks.
Arteta’s comments are somewhat surprising given this prognosis.
With Declan Rice suspended and Mikel Merino sidelined due to injury, Arteta remains hopeful that Martin Odegaard could still feature in the crucial match against Tottenham.
Meanwhile, Tottenham are set to welcome back Micky van de Ven, bolstering their defensive options for the derby.
He said: “We need some more tests. Let’s see what happens in the next day or so.
“[It will be Friday] afternoon probably.
“Let’s see the extent of the injury and how quickly we can get him back.
“Martin wants to be here every day but we have to wait and see.
“I leave that to the doctor. He’s willing and he wants to be present in every game.
“We need to make sure we know first how good he is or not.
“Players with 48 hours are always available.
“Let’s see what happens.”
Gabriel Jesus has missed Arsenal’s last two games due to a groin injury but could return for Sunday’s match if he successfully completes the final training sessions before the game.
New signing Riccardo Calafiori will undergo assessment over the weekend, with a decision on his availability expected shortly after.
Tottenham are set to welcome back both Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke for Sunday’s North London derby against Arsenal.
The duo missed Spurs’ defeat to Newcastle before the international break but are expected to be fit for this crucial fixture.
“Micky’s good, he’s trained all the way through the international break and it was good for him to stay with us to build him back up so he’s ready to go,” Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou told the official club website.
“Dom’s improved as well and trained the back half of this week.
“We still have two days to go with those guys so hopefully they get through training OK and are available.”
On Bissouma, Postecoglou said: “He’s got a bit of an issue, but we’ll have a look at him over the next couple of days and see how it settles.”
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