'I think it's another': International manager hints Arsenal superstar is now struggling with a second injury

09/05/2024 01:15 AM

Arsenal fans are no doubt still angry about Saturday's 1-1 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion but one injury concern has now emerged.

The Gunners had everything going pretty well when Kai Havertz lobbed Bart Verbruggen to open the scoring against Brighton.

Everything turned upon Declan Rice's red card though as the Arsenal midfielder was given a second yellow card in bizarre circumstances.

Rice was adjudged to have kicked the ball away to deny a Brighton restart, although the ball was moving anyway as Joel Veltman attempted to take a free kick.

Gary Lineker has slammed Rice's sending-off and Ally McCoist was left baffled on commentary before Joao Pedro scored to hand Brighton a 1-1 draw.

Joao Pedro even kicked the ball away himself in the first half but didn't receive a booking, which has just added to the Arsenal anger.

Norway boss on Martin Odegaard

The reaction to Rice's red card has been so fierce that Martin Odegaard's injury has somewhat gone unnoticed.

The Norwegian took a nasty blow to his ankle in the first half and didn't seem to shake the injury off as the game wore on.

Odegaard has been named in the Norway squad to face Kazakhstan and Austria in the coming days.

The 25-year-old serves as Arsenal and Norway captain, so he would almost certainly be in Norway's starting XI.

However, Norway boss Stale Solbakken has offered a rather cryptic comment about Odegaard's injury status.

Speaking to Eurosport, Solbakken suggested that Odegaard has another injury alongside the ankle knock he suffered against Brighton.

Solbakken's comments cast some doubt over whether Odegaard will line up against Kazakhstan on Friday with Arsenal fans left hoping for positive news.

"I don’t think that’s what it is… I think it’s another bang, I was about to say. I think it is something other than the bang, so to speak," said Solbakken.

Solbakken told TV2 that he expected Odegaard to train ahead of Friday's game, but the suggestion that he is carrying not one but two injuries is far from ideal.

Odegaard's slow start

Odegaard was outstanding last season, racking up eight goals and 10 assists in 35 Premier League outings.

Big things are always expected of Odegaard but this season has been a little slow for him so far.

Odegaard has only managed five key passes and two shots on target across Arsenal's first three games.

Odegaard has completed five dribbles but has been dispossessed six times and remarkably completed just nine passes in 70 minutes against Brighton.

Arsenal fans have been a little concerned about Odegaard and news of him carrying a couple of injury problems would certainly add up.

The Gunners really can't afford to lose Odegaard right now; not only is the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur coming up after the international break but Arsenal are also without new midfield signing Mikel Merino.

Merino will be out until around mid-October and Arsenal will need Odegaard to be their main man as ever after the international break – hopefully with his injury problems easing.