Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says there might be ‘surprise’ as he delivers injury update on Martin Odegaard ahead of Carabao Cup clash
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided an important update on the injury status of captain Martin Odegaard ahead of their Carabao Cup clash with Bolton Wanderers. Odegaard has missed the club's last three matches after suffering an ankle injury during international duty with Norway in their game against Spain.
While a return to action before the upcoming international break seems unlikely, Arteta left the door open for a potential 'surprise'.
"It’s likely to be a matter of weeks but I can’t say for certain how long," Arteta said at the pre-match press conference (via Football.london). "There might be a surprise but I think it’s doubtful he’ll be back before the break."
Odegaard’s absence has been felt in Arsenal’s midfield, and Arteta will be hoping for a swift recovery from his talisman. The Gunners could also be without Jurrien Timber, Ben White, and Riccardo Calafiori for the midweek cup fixture.
“We’ll see how they’re doing today. We’ll make a decision based on their recovery and availability.”
Arteta also confirmed that Oleksandr Zinchenko will remain out for a few more weeks as he recovers from his injury.
"Had to play the game that we had to play" - Mikel Arteta reflects on Arsenal's performance against Manchester City
Regarding the recent Premier League encounter against Manchester City, Mikel Arteta lauded his side’s performance despite conceding a late goal and settling for a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal, down to 10 men, held a 2-1 lead late into the game, only for City to equalize through John Stones in the final minutes. It was Erling Haaland who opened the scoring for the reigning champions before Calafiori and Gabriel guided the London club to a 2-1 lead.
"We had to play the game that we had to play,” Arteta said (via Football.london). "The first 15 minutes, we couldn’t. They played 30 seconds with 10 men. It’s normal what they did. We’ve been in the same situation before, with Granit [Xhaka] when we lost 5-0. We need to learn from that."
Arsenal were resilient on the weekend but will need to bounce back quickly as they shift focus to their upcoming Carabao Cup clash.