Mikel Arteta thinks Martin Odegaard will return to the pitch after the international break but he’s unable to put a clear timeframe on the player’s return from injuty.
The Norway international picked up a knock in training ahead of the defeat to Newcastle and has missed three games in a row. While he was called up by his country for matches with the Faroe Islands and Scotland, it sounds like the midfielder will spend the next couple of weeks in London.
“I don’t know,” said the Spaniard when asked when his captain might return.
“I’m going to have a meeting now with the medical department and Edu to understand everybody’s situation. I think he’s going to be back after the international break, but I don’t know exactly what’s the decision and the communication at the moment.”
Arteta also allayed fears of issues for Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jorginho with the former struggling with his contract lenses during today’s 3-1 win over Burnley and the latter picking up a cut to his head in the closing stages.
“Only his eye, his contact lens,” said the boss when asked about Tomi. “He had a problem with his lens. But the rest, he was top. Really good performance, Tomiyasu.”
On Jorginho, he added: “He had a few bad cuts I think, so they could not sort it out on the pitch, so they decided to take it out and hopefully he’s fine.
“I think he was really good again today, the way this guy is competing, coaching and supporting the team in any way, I’m really happy with him.”
As for Ben White who was absent from the matchday squad, Arteta revealed: “Yesterday in training he wasn’t comfortable, he didn’t look right, but Ben won’t give you much.
“He always wants to be on the pitch and he wants to hide anything that is in there, but we highlighted that we noticed in the last few weeks as well something happening there and we wanted to protect him so it was the right call from the physio and the medical department and tomorrow we will assess him and understand what’s happening.”
If those contact lenses keep causing havoc, then it would be the wildest thing ever to see Tomiyasu take to the pitch at Brentford sporting a pair of Edgar Davids style glasses
Reckon he’d look good in a pair of Dame Edna’s.
Haha.
But in all seriousness, in 2023, given the job they do, I wonder why he doesn’t get them lasered.
Because you can’t laser every visual impairment
i think bar that awful mistake a few matches ago, jorginho’s been very good for us so far. you can tell he has a very positive impact in his teammates this season. i hope people remember this before jumping on him and complaining about ex chelsea players the next time he does something wrong. only for his commitment he deserves our full support
Absolutely. He was a very astute signing.
That’s a bit worrying about Ben White. Really hope it’s nothing serious.
Totally. And while I appreciate the desire to play and help, you kinda want players to be mature enough to highlight their own problems rather than exacerbate the issue.
I kinda expected Benjamin White, who famously doesn’t even watch football, to have a different mindset. He must really love his job.
Get well soon
So does that mean they are going to shave Jorginho’s head? lol
No England call up for Mr White then, ha!
Can I please put on a Nurses uniform and come over to your house Ben?
Coach Jorginho😀