Mikel Arteta has revealed that Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has suffered ligament damage in his left ankle and will be sidelined for a while.
Arteta confirmed the news ahead of the club’s UEFA Champions League opener against Atalanta, with a trip to Manchester City also looming.
The Norwegian captain sustained the injury on international duty after landed awkwardly on his left ankle in a nasty incident while playing for Norway during the last international break earlier in September.
He missed Arsenal’s 1-0 North London derby victory over Tottenham Hotspur and is set to miss a blockbuster meeting with expected title rivals Manchester City on Sunday.
Ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League on Thursday Arteta gave an update on Odegaard’s injury status.
“The scans showed that he’s got some damage, especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle,” the Arsenal boss revealed ahead of the club’s Champions League opener.
“It’s something quite significant so we’re going to lose him for a while.”
Arteta added that he did not want to give a timeline on when Odegaard could potentially return, but said it is “hopefully not months”.
