Mikel Arteta says he already has one certainty about Martin Odegaard’s injury

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Mikel Arteta addressed Martin Odegaard’s injury in his post-match press conference after the Gunners’ win over Nottingham Forest.

For the second consecutive Premier League home game, Odegaard was forced to withdraw early due to a shoulder injury. 

Against Nottingham Forest, the Arsenal captain was hooked after just 18 minutes after trying, and failing, to play on after landing awkwardly on his shoulder. 

It was a dire shame considering how good Odegaard was over the international break, with Arteta sharing some immediate news on the midfielder’s fitness status. 

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Mikel Arteta shares Martin Odegaard injury update 

Speaking to the media in his post-match press conference, Arteta was asked about the early indications of the severity of Odegaard’s injury.

There was additional concern given that the Norwegian had injured his shoulder on matchday two, with the knock against Forest described by the boss as a ‘very similar’ blow to the one he sustained against Leeds.

“Shoulder. Very similar, similar injury and he’s played two games with Norway and unfortunately, he cannot continue,” Arteta told the media.

The Arsenal manager then relieved some anxiety by batting away any idea that his star playmaker would require surgery. 

“No, certainly not. Last time, in a few days, he was able to manage the pain.”

The early signs suggest that Odegaard will focus on pain management, with Arteta’s take on the injury a relief, with a list of difficult fixtures awaiting.

Ethan Nwaneri replaced Odegaard well against Nottingham Forest

It was typical that Odegaard suffered another shoulder injury after starring on international duty.

Fortunately, Arsenal’s squad depth allowed for the key creator to depart without anyone noticing. 

Arteta trusted Ethan Nwaneri to cover in central attacking midfield, and the 18-year-old certainly took his chance. 

A lot of Arsenal’s attacking play was filtered through Nwaneri, who completed 88% of his passes and created one chance, as per Sofascore. 

It was refreshing to see the teenager handed a sufficient chance to impress in his favoured position, as his dazzling display only reflected how strong the Gunners are for options going forward.

For now, Odegaard will rest and face a race against time to be involved against Athletic Bilbao, but one thing is clear, and that’s that Arsenal do not need to rush him back.