What game Arsenal are now ‘hopeful’ Martin Odegaard will return for as Mikel Arteta handed boost

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Arsenal have suffered from a number of injuries in the last few months, but they now appear to have navigated the crisis.

The most notable absentee was captain Martin Odegaard, who picked up an ankle injury during the September international break whilst playing for Norway.

Odegaard has been absent since, and Arsenal had to face tough teams in Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool without him.

Reports indicated that Odegaard was set to be sidelined until December, but this no longer appears to be the case, as he could now return even before the November international break.

• READ MORE: The top five most injured Arsenal players in 2023/24

Martin Odegaard could make Arsenal injury return vs Inter Milan

It has now been reported by The Standard that Arsenal are “hopeful” that Odegaard can make his long-awaited return from injury against Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday, November 6.

Arsenal face three tough away games before the upcoming international break. The Gunners travel to Newcastle on Saturday, where they lost last season, before a midweek trip to Milan to face the Italian champions.

This will be followed by a grudge clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and Arsenal will need every available resource for the game, making Odegaard’s return a huge boost.

There is an “outside chance” that Odegaard even makes the trip to Newcastle, although Arsenal may exercise caution over his return.

Arsenal must be wary over Martin Odegaard injury return

Having Odegaard back will be a monumental boost for Mikel Arteta, but he needs to make it count. Rushing him back into the squad before he is fully ready could lead to a disastrous re-injury.

Arsenal found a way to cope without Odegaard while he was out for 11 games, but his creativity was still sorely missed in several games, and this is not sustainable over the course of a whole season.

If Odegaard can feature off the bench against Newcastle or Inter, then he could be in line for a start against Chelsea, but it seems unlikely that he will be risked in tough away games unless his teammates can secure a comfortable scoreline for him to make his return in easier circumstances.