London, Sep 19
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that Martin Odegaard's significant ankle injury will rule him out of action for a while.
The Arsenal captain limped off during Norway's Nations League win over Austria on September 9 after twisting his left ankle. He required the help of physios before leaving the pitch to receive further treatment.
Odegaard, 25, then returned to London for an MRI scan and missed his side's win in the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.
"After everything was scanned, they showed that there was some damage, especially in one of the ligaments in the ankle so we're going to miss him. I don't want to (put a timeframe on it) because I am not a doctor but it is something quite significant so we're going to lose him for a while - hopefully not months but let's see," Arteta said in press conference ahead of facing Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday.
The Gunners captain is essential to the team's performance. Finding a replacement for the Norwegian, who finished the previous season with 11 goals and an equal number of assists, will be a challenging task.
"He's our captain. He's one of our biggest players. He's been one of the most consistent players in the last two or three seasons. Our identity is very related to his way of playing and his way of behaving.
"We're going to have to deal with (his absence) and that's a great test for the team as well - how capable we are to show maybe a different face. The fact is we have other players and other options that can be very effective," Arteta added.
In addition, Arsenal faced further uncertainty in defense, with Riccardo Calafiori doubtful after suffering a calf injury during Italy's Nations League match against France.
However, there is some positive news for the Gunners, as Arteta provided an update on Calafiori, saying, "He was able to train on Wednesday so he will be available. He's in the squad and that's great news because, as we all know, we've been quite short in the past few weeks."