Captain Martin Odegaard of Arsenal has had a “quite significant” ankle ligament injury, according to manager Mikel Arteta.
On Monday, September 9, during Norway’s Nations League victory against Austria, the midfield player hobbled off.
Midway through the second half, Odegaard went down in pain after being fouled by Christoph Baumgartner and injuring his left ankle.
He missed Sunday’s 1-0 victory against Tottenham in the north London derby as he went to Arsenal for an MRI.
“The scan showed some damage around the ligaments in the ankle so we are going to miss him,” said Arteta prior to his side’s game with Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday.
“It’s something quite significant so we are going to lose him for a while. Hopefully not months.”
Odegaard’s injury means the 25-year-old will miss the trip to Italy and his second-placed side’s visit to leaders Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.
“He’s our captain,” added Arteta. “He’s been one of the biggest and best players in our team.
“Our identity is very linked to how he plays and behaves. It’s a big test for the team to see how able we are to show a different face.”
