Mikel Arteta has shared that the current indications point to Martin Odegaard missing the ‘next game or two’ for Arsenal through injury, in a worrying update after the side’s poor display against Slavia Prague.
Mark Mann-Bryans of the Press Association’s Sports branch sought an update on the impressive Real Madrid loanee after the Gunners’ 1-1 draw in the first-leg of their Europa League tie this evening.
Odegaard has been superb for the Gunners since arriving on loan in the January transfer window, becoming the side player the club have borrowed from Los Blancos, after Dani Ceballos.
The Norwegian playmaker has made 13 appearances for the Gunners across the Premier League and Europa League, scoring twice and offering a consistent creative threat for the North London outfit.
Odegaard was out of tonight’s clash and Arteta has admitted that it looks like the 22-year-old will be out for the ‘next game or two’, but there is no concrete diagnosis as of yet.
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“We don’t know, he wasn’t able to play today, he will be out I think for the next game or two, but we don’t know yet.”
That is the worst news that Arsenal could be hit with after such a sloppy performance against Slavia reiterated just how much spark the loanee offers the side.
The Gunners now look set to miss the star for the Premier League tie against Sheffield United, but more importantly for the crucial second-leg against the Prague outfit next week.
Arsenal’s position as a mid-table side in the top-flight leaves winning the Europa League as their only option at returning to the Champions League after years out.
That’s difficult enough as it is with sides like Manchester United, Roma and Villarreal still in Europe’s secondary club competition, before those tough fixtures came about though they’d need to overcome Slavia in the first place, which is a favourable tie that they’ve already made harder for themselves.
To summarise, the second-leg against the Czech Republican outfit is now there biggest of the season, but they may be resigned to having one of their best players since January sidelined for it.