Martin Odegaard has admitted he was “scared” by the severity of his ankle injury – with the captain refusing to put a timeline on his return for Arsenal.
Gunners skipper Odegaard, who also captains the Norwegian national team, suffered ankle ligament damage in a UEFA Nations League match against Austria. He missed Premier League matches against Tottenham and Manchester City, and is still some way away from returning to action.
Mikel Arteta confirmed the former Real Madrid star faces a spell on the sidelines, in a huge blow to their title ambitions. “We might get a surprise but I think it’s unlikely,” he said when asked if Odegaard might return before the October international break. He added: “After recent scans the scans showed that he’s got some damage especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle. It’s something quite significant so we’re going to lose him for a while.”
That means Odegaard will play no part in the Carabao Cup third round meeting with Bolton Wanderers. However, he used his captain’s notes in the matchday programme to offer an update on his recovery.
“I think it was unfortunate to get the injury in the way that I did, but also it could have been worse,” Odegaard wrote. “It was not a nice twist, and when it happened I felt it could be serious.
“I’ve injured my ankle before and the pain felt a bit different this time. That’s what scared me, but from what happened it could have been worse, so in that sense I got away with it a bit.
“Like any player, the first thing I asked the medical team was how long I would be out for, but it’s a bit tricky to say at the moment. In the early stages, it’s crucial to get a proper rest and to make sure everything heals well. After that it’s about getting stronger and building it up again.”
Arteta is expected to make a number of changes for the match against Bolton, who sit towards the bottom of the League One table. Teenage goalkeeper Jack Porter is expected to make his debut
“Yes for sure, we want to win the game tomorrow,” the manager said on Tuesday when asked if his side are targeting winning the competition. Arsenal haven’t won the EFL Cup since 1993, but have been beaten finalists three times since then.
“We have to start with the first game. We have to understand what is the best team, the strongest team that we can put out to perform in the way that we need to to be better than Bolton and beat them.”
While some players are expected to keep their place after the weekend draw away to Manchester City, Leandro Trossard will not be involved. The Belgian forward is serving a one-match ban, having been sent off on the stroke of half-time at the Etihad Stadium.
