Martin Odegaard injury: Progress and potential return date for Arsenal captain

It was a dramatic international break for Arsenal supporters, who saw captain Martin Odegaard limp off in tears 67 minutes into Norway's UEFA Nations League victory over Austria.

2024/25 is a huge season for this Gunners outfit having twice pushed Manchester City in the title race, with Mikel Arteta perhaps having only one more chance to usurp Pep Guardiola before the City boss jets off into the sunset - and guides England to World Cup glory in New York.

Club captain Odegaard is critical to Arteta's Arsenal. His impressive availability and undoubted brilliance with the ball at his feet means it's hard to imagine the Premier League title hopefuls functioning optimally without him.

It's a nervy time for supporters given how significant a prolonged Odegaard absence could potentially be.

Here's the latest on Odegaard's injury setback and when he could return to action.

What injury does Martin Odegaard have?

The Norway captain twisted his ankle while challenging for a loose ball with Austria's Christoph Baumgartner.

A still image of the incident showed Odegaard's ankle twisting 90 degrees, and Norway's team doctor Ola Sand confirmed post-match that the midfielder had picked up a "small ankle sprain". Odegaard was forced off of Norway's 2-1 win after 67 minutes, with the tearful skipper limping off while assisted by two physios.

When will Martin Odegaard return from injury?

Sand's initial diagnosis, which was made without access to high-tech equipment, was a "small ankle sprain" which required further scans to fully evaluate.

Following those tests, Arteta confirmed there was damage to ligaments in Odegaard's ankle, describing the injury as "quite serious".

The Arsenal boss went on to confess that Odegaard will be out for "a while" but "hopefully not months".

What Arsenal games could Martin Odegaard miss due to injury?

That will, of course, depend upon the severity of Odegaard's ankle injury, but the initial signs aren't overly promising for Odegaard. Moreover, his setback has arrived at a very busy time in the calendar, beginning with a trip to Bergamo to face Atalanta in their Champions League opener.

After that game, Arsenal face Manchester City at the Etihad on 22 September. The Gunners then take on Leicester at the Emirates the following Saturday before hosting Paris Saint-Germain in their second Champions League league phase encounter on 1 October.

October also brings meetings with Southampton, Bournemouth, Shakhtar Donetsk and Liverpool, while Newcastle, Inter and Chelsea are all on the agenda in the first ten days of November.

Who could replace Martin Odegaard in the Arsenal team?

Odegaard has been a key player for Arteta's Arsenal ever since he signed permanently in 2021, so Arteta may have to change tack. With Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira leaving in the summer, Arteta has fewer natural replacements and he's unlikely to call upon teenager Ethan Nwaneri for Arsenal's important upcoming fixtures.

Mikel Merino is out until October with a shoulder injury, but Declan Rice is back available after serving a one-game suspension.

Bukayo Saka could be used in a right central-midfield role with Raheem Sterling holding the width down the flank, or Arteta could shift to a double pivot and utilise Saka, Kai Havertz or Leandro Trossard as more of a number ten.

Great coaches and the very best teams adapt without little fuss. Odegaard's absence will undoubtedly test Arteta's coaching capacity to the highest degree.

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