PREMIER LEAGUE
Why isn’t Martin Odegaard playing for Arsenal against Tottenham in the Premier League?
Gunners captain Odegaard joins fellow midfielder Declan Rice in missing the North London derby against bitter rivals Spurs.
Arsenal take on bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby in the Premier League on Sunday (September 15) and have been dealt a second midfield blow in addition to the absence of Declan Rice.
The England international misses the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium due to suspension after being sent off in The Gunners’ last league outing against Brighton. And Mikel Arteta will also have to make do without influential captain Martin Odegaard, as had been feared.
What injury does Odegaard have? How long will he be out?
The Norwegian international suffered an ankle injury while on international duty, with national team doctors claiming he would likely miss three weeks of action. That would include Arsenal’s first Champions League game of the season against Atalanta, as well as the crucial Premier League clash away to Manchester City next weekend.
However, after arriving back in London, Arteta was significantly less downbeat, claiming in a pre-match press conference Odegaard hadn’t yet been ruled out of facing Spurs.
It looks, though, as if that was wishful thinking. When the Arsenal lineup for the derby was announced, there was no sign of Odegaard, either in the starting XI or on the bench. It will again very much be a case of wait and see when it comes to his availability for Thursday’s UCL game in Bergamo.