The three players who could now replace Martin Odegaard in North London Derby vs Tottenham

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Mikel Arteta has several squad issues to solve before the North London derby, with Martin Odegaard’s injury the latest blow.

It’s been a terrible week for Arsenal, who in the build-up to the North London derby, have several players at risk of being unavailable. 

As well as those confirmed to be missing the clash with Tottenham, the international break has handed Arteta additional concerns with two fresh injuries to report. 

First, Riccardo Calafiori withdrew from international duty after sustaining a knock against France, followed by Martin Odegaard suffering an ankle injury.

• READ MORE: Arsenal injury latest with Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice updates on international duty

Three Arsenal players who could replace Martin Odegaard against Tottenham

While it seems Calafiori’s premature return is precautionary, Odegaard’s blow for Norway against Austria looked incredibly sinister.

The Arsenal skipper’s ankle rolled beneath him causing him to go down in a terrible position, resulting in the midfielder hobbling off the pitch.

While experts remain optimistic about Odegaard’s injury, it’s still incredibly early to tell the extent of his troubles, with Arteta’s mind firmly on the North London derby.

There is a good chance that the Gunners will travel to N17 without their captain, opening the door to several players to take the 25-year-old’s spot.

Here are three players who could replace Odegaard in the North London derby.

Kai Havertz

Perhaps the most likely player to replace the Norweigan is Kai Havertz who despite hitting searing form as Arsenal’s striker, is qualified to play in the number 10 role. 

Interestingly, Havertz played in the position for Germany during the September international break, reinforcing the success that Arteta could find by pushing him back slightly. 

It would however be a risk considering how well the German is performing when leading the line, giving the boss something else to consider if Odegaard is unavailable.

Bukayo Saka

Perhaps a surprise nomination to fill Odegaard’s void is Bukayo Saka, who is Arsenal’s best wide player by far. 

The Englishman is also the Gunners’ best creator, averaging 2.7 key passes per game in the Premier League this season, head and shoulders above his teammates.

Similarly to the situation that Arteta could face with changing Havertz’s position, Saka’s presence on the right side of attack is fundamental to how Arsenal play.

The manager will have to evaluate whether tweaking Saka’s role against Spurs would jeopardize the squad’s efficiency going forward as a collective, with no player as strong as the 23-year-old on the flank.

Ethan Nwaneri

Finally comes a huge risk with the potential of a significant reward, as 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri could make his full Premier League debut. 

Born in 2007, it’s unlikely that Arteta would place so much pressure on the youngster’s shoulders however, that’s not to say that Nwaneri isn’t qualified to attack the challenge. 

• READ MORE: Arsenal scout explains what ‘impresses him the most’ about Ethan Nwaneri, he’s ‘destined’ to succeed

The boss has a lot of faith in the teen’s talent, seeing him train with the first team and be named in the Premier League squad in every game this season so far.

Arguably, Nwaneri is the best fit to replace Odegaard in positional terms, with the Englishman standing alone as Arsenal’s central attacking midfielder aside from the captain.

It would be a bold move from Arteta, and one that could pay off tremendously if he deems Nwaneri ready to take on the task.