What is privately being said at Arsenal about Martin Odegaard’s injury

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Martin Odegaard is not having any luck on the injury front early into the 2025/26 season.

Odegaard made Premier League history for the wrong reasons against West Ham, being the first player to be substituted before half-time in three consecutive league starts. 

The Arsenal captain nursed two shoulder injuries before sustaining a painful knock to his knee on matchday seven. 

Arsenal later released a statement revealing that Odegaard had suffered damage to his medial collateral ligament, subsequently ruling the midfielder out of international duty. 

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Martin Odegaard’s injury isn’t as bad as first feared

An injury expert has explored Odegaard’s recovery timeframe, with the worst possible scenario being that the Norwegian could miss over six weeks if his injury is a grade three.

The grade of Odegaard’s ligament damage is unknown, but it’s understood that Arsenal might not be as worried as first anticipated.

Featuring on talkSPORT’s Premier League All Access podcast, broadcaster Sam Matterface shared what Arsenal are thinking about Odegaard behind the scenes right now. 

“They feel as if this one’s not going to be as bad as first feared, but it is still a problem, isn’t it?” Matterface said.

A grade one MCL injury can take between one to three weeks to heal, with a grade two taking three to six weeks.

It would be assumed, based on Matterface’s comments, that Arsenal don’t believe Odegaard’s injury is a grade three, which is positive.

An official recovery timeframe hasn’t been shared from either Arsenal or the Norway national team, with estimates speculative at present. 

• READ MORE: Winners and losers from Martin Odegaard’s injury after Mikel Arteta issues extremely worrying update

The Arsenal games Martin Odegaard could miss due to injury

What Arsenal won’t want to do, and don’t need to do, is rush Odegaard back.

The captain has already lost a lot of game time this season due to injury, which has come at a frustrating time given Odegaard’s mesmeric form. 

When looking at the fixtures Arsenal play over the next three weeks, there are some sizeable challenges that the playmaker could miss. 

Arsenal return from the international break to battle four games in 11 days, with two Premier League games, one Champions League blockbuster and a Carabao Cup clash to tend to.

In the Premier League, Fulham and Crystal Palace are up next and sandwiched between is Atletico Madrid’s visit to the Emirates.

The idea of Odegaard missing games of that magnitude is a problem, with all eyes on when Arteta’s key creator could return.