Martin Odegaard has shared his first update on his widely discussed ankle injury, revealing he feels fortunate that it wasn’t more severe.
The Arsenal captain suffered ligament damage during Norway’s 2-1 win over Austria earlier this month and is expected to be sidelined until November.
Until now, Odegaard had remained silent on the injury, but in his captain’s notes ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash with Bolton, he spoke about the rehabilitation process that lies ahead.
“It was a bad twist to my ankle, and I damaged some ligaments there, but it’s part of football and now I’m just trying to recover as quickly as I can,” relayed the midfielder.
“I’m moving forward, making progress and I’m feeling more positive every day. I’m working hard and my only thought is to get back as soon as possible.
“I’m at the Sobha Realty Training Centre basically every day now, working hard and doing everything I can do to get better. I have to be careful not to push it too much, but at the same time do what I can to make sure I come back as strongly and quickly as possible. I’m trying to support the team in a different way now, if I can’t be on the pitch. That’s my situation, and I have to make the best out of it.”
Aside from one minor ankle issue, also sustained on international duty, Odegaard has been a near ever-present for the Gunners since he first arrived on loan from Real Madrid. Having avoided the treatment room for so long, he admits being sidelined is taking some getting used to.
“I’ve been quite fortunate, if that’s the word, or have done well to avoid injuries in the past, but this is football and I have to get on with it,” he said.
“I think it was unfortunate to get the injury in the way that I did, but also it could have been worse. 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.”
So far, Arsenal have managed to remain unbeaten without Odegaard despite tough assignments at Sp*rs, Atalanta and Manchester City. In addition to tonight’s match, it’s expected he’ll also sit out encounters with Leicester, Paris Saint-Germain, Southampton, Bournemouth and Shakhtar Donetsk. As things stand, he’s also a doubt for the Liverpool and Newcastl
Last line(s) need adding, cut and paste didn’t work!
Amazing I am the only genius here, but I knew what it meant!
We need our captain back, he’s a great player! But he needs to get fully fit first, we need him for the remainder of the season once back. Hope it’s not too long…
I certainly felt like (maybe bar Saliba and Saka) that Odegaard was a player we simply couldn’t live without. There didn’t seem to be a natural replacement and he seemed like one of those irreplaceable players. But I think we forget that Arteta thinks way harder and way deeper about the game than we ever can fathom. I’m convinced he has contingency plans for every eventuality. And for Mikel to get us through this insurmountable task of three desperately tricky away games without Martin is just another example of how fine a coach he is. Get well soon Martin, so… Read more »
Yes, all you said! Shocking how well we did, it’s as shocking as an aussie making sense.. I mean that in the most non-racist way.. but now I’ve had to explain it.. definitely sounds racist. Hugs all aussies tight so as to downplay apprearance of being a prick.. hugs you 115 times. AFC.. what matters is I have never seen our community more together. I love it. Yes, I know some of you want trophies.. I can call you cunts and delusional another day. Our club, manager, players – the effort.. away fucking amazing fans.. the bullshit dished out to… Read more »
If I were Arteta, I would play Jesus as a playmaker against Bolton. He has all the skillset for the position except the mental strength. Oh, that’s Ozil.
If by “mental strength” you meant “composure” and “tactical discipline” I might be tempted to agree.
Rodri thinks he can always do one better than Arsenal…
Because Haaland said stay humble
Plucky little Newcastl can’t afford a second e I guess, due to ffp.
Get well soon, Boss.🙏🏾
To me MO is somewhat like Bergkamp. In that he will be having a solid game and thenall of a sudden they will do one thing, maybe a small thing, but something that will just blow your mind. Most times some fantastic pass. Very few players have that in their locker on a consistent basis.
Fucking International bullshit games