Kai Havertz reveals Arsenal's plan to cope with Martin Odegaard injury

Kai Havertz has admitted replacing Martin Odegaard's impact at Arsenal will require effort from everyone in the team.

Club-captain Odegaard suffered an ankle injury during the last international break which is expected to keep him sidelined for several weeks. Some reports have gone as far as to claim Odegaard will be lucky to return in 2024.

"Every day he's here, every day he's in the meetings and speaks to us," Havertz told Sky Sports of Odegaard's influence. "I think he's the perfect captain for a team like us, where we have so many young players and players who can progress and he's just there for everyone and not only on the pitch.

"To be honest, before I came to Arsenal, I didn't think he would speak so much in the dressing room and stuff like that, but he speaks a lot before the game. He's always there on the pitch when things are not going your way and you need someone to step up."

Replacing Odegaard has not been easy for Arsenal. Young Ethan Nwaneri saw success in the Carabao Cup victory over Bolton Wanderers but is unlikely to be thrown in at the deep end in the Premier League, where Leandro Trossard was tasked with helping out in a deeper role before his red card against Manchester City.

Asked how Arsenal can replace Odegaard on the pitch, Havertz explained: "It's not about one player but I think everyone has to step up when one of your most important players is missing. I think we are doing it quite well at the moment.

"Some players now speak a lot in the dressing room, that helps. We hope obviously Martin comes back very quickly, but we have to do our job when he's not there."

Arsenal are in action on Saturday against Leicester City, with manager Mikel Arteta forced to look for a new solution to Odegaard's absence as a result of Trossard's suspension.

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