Martin Odegaard is expected to be sidelined for Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League fixtures against Tottenham and Manchester City, as well as the beginning of the Champions League, due to an ankle injury, as reported by Norway’s team doctor.
The Gunners' captain underwent an MRI scan following the
injury sustained during a challenge with Austria’s Christoph Baumgartner in
Norway's 2-1 Nations League win over Austria in Oslo on Monday.
“This type of ankle injury often takes at least three weeks
to heal. Anything less is just a bonus. And it may take longer,” national team
doctor Ola Sand told Wednesday’s VG newspaper.
Arsenal, the previous season's Premier League runners-up,
will visit Tottenham for the north London derby this Sunday, ahead of their
first Champions League match against Atalanta next week.
They are set to compete against Premier League champions
Manchester City on September 22, with a notable European encounter against
Paris Saint-Germain scheduled for October 1.
Norway's upcoming Nations League fixtures are on October 10,
where they will face Slovenia in Oslo, followed by a match against Austria in
Linz three days later.
“Both Staale
(Solbakken, the coach) and I know that this is delicate,” Sand said.
“It’s not out of the question (that he plays in Norway’s
next matches), but we have to wait and see what the MRI says and how quickly he
responds to treatment.”
Sand added the MRI images were still being studied, although
there was “no suspicion of a fracture”.