Arsenal fans have positive news upon return from the international break. The Gunners boss Mikel Arteta gave an update during his pre-match press conference on the recovery status of club captain Martin Odegaard. Arteta informed newsmen that the Norwegian may be available ahead of next week if all goes according to plan in his rehabilitation.
The midfielder has been on the sidelines since the September international break when he suffered an ankle injury while on national team duty for Norway. He has subsequently been out of action for the Gunners in their last seven games across all competitions.
Although he’s not expected in the lineup ahead of their trip to Bournemouth this weekend, Arteta has hinted that the captain could be available for selection when Arsenal host Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday and in their important Premier League clash with Liverpool the following weekend.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the Spaniard said, “He is not going to be fit for this game. Next week will be a different story. In the later stages of his rehab, he needs to clear some markers, do some different things, especially with the ball. Next week is crucial to see how close he is.”
Arsenal got another injury scare during the last international break with their No. 7 Bukayo Saka being forced to leave England’s game against Greece at Wembley and subsequently missing the game against Finland to return to the club earlier than expected. Arteta assured Arsenal fans that the situation is not serious and the winger will be available to face Bournemouth. Other important returns to fitness for Arsenal are Kai Havertz and Thomas Partey.
However, Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Oleksandr Zinchenko are all doubtful while Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli is due for assessment after returning with a knock from international duty. The manager added, “They are quite close the three of them, today we are going to have to try and push and see how it is. We are struggling a bit with the numbers on the right side, hopefully, we have some positive news and some players back.”
Arteta’s men are unbeaten this season in all competitions and travel to face Bournemouth who have just one win over them in 14 previous Premier League meetings. Despite their unbeaten status, Arsenal have been unable to keep a clean sheet in their last three Premier League games. Notwithstanding, Arteta is quite positive about his team’s defensive form. He said, “It’s the way we’ve conceded certain goals with the little things we’ve done to concede those goals. It’s making sure we are consistency and level of urgency and focus in the reaction.”
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