Martin Odegaard has picked up a fresh ankle injury while on international duty with Norway. This adds to Arsenal’s growing injury list before Mikel Arteta’s side host Leeds United. The latest Arsenal injury news also features Kai Havertz. He returned early to London Colney after suffering a muscle strain for Germany.
Odegaard and Havertz Suffer International Injury Blows
Odegaard was hurt following a tackle from Bernardo Silva during Norway’s Nations League match against Portugal. The Arsenal captain played on, but the knock raised fresh fitness doubts, only weeks after his previous injury nightmare.
Speaking to Norwegian TV after the game, Odegaard admitted he was unsure whether he would avoid missing further action. “I hope not,” he said when asked if the injury would keep him out. “But I got a knock on my ankle there. It probably won’t be good tonight.”
Havertz’s issue emerged in Germany’s match against the Netherlands, and he was withdrawn in the 30th minute. The national team confirmed the setback in an official statement: “Kai suffered a muscle strain yesterday. He had to be substituted in the 30th minute.” The German forward has since returned to Arsenal for treatment.
National Team Confirmation and Player Fitness Reports
Declan Rice also left the England camp during the break, pulling out of the squad for load-management reasons rather than a specific injury. The decision reflects the heavy schedule Rice has faced for both club and country this season.
Ben White did not feature against Brighton before the break, and he was also left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad through injury. Tuchel addressed White’s absence directly. He explained why the defender has repeatedly missed out on international call-ups.
“Ben pulled out with an injury, he had a fantastic start to the season and was back to his very best on the side as a pair with Bukayo Saka which could be very valuable for us to have two players on the side,” Tuchel said. “But unfortunately he wasn’t available for the World Cup. He is not available now. It is unfortunately a little bit of a story with Ben. In the decisive moments or in the moments where we do the call-ups he is not available.”
Full details of that game are covered in our defeat against Brighton before the break, and further international fitness details have come via injury updates provided by football.london.
Tactical Impact on Arteta’s Midfield and Defense
Odegaard’s ankle knock is a significant concern for Arteta’s midfield, given how central the captain has been to Arsenal’s build-up play this season. His impressive recent midfield form makes any lengthy absence a real blow. Even before Havertz’s strain is factored in further forward.
At the back, the picture is just as stretched, with Jurrien Timber already missing Arsenal’s last three Premier League matches with a hamstring injury. William Saliba, meanwhile, remains sidelined by the back problem he suffered during the summer World Cup. White is also unavailable. Arteta’s defensive options are thin heading into the Leeds fixture.
Arteta struck a cautiously optimistic tone when asked about squad fitness before the match. “Yes, we have another session. They are all willing to be part of it,” he said. “We have another session to try to make sure they are fit.” The comments underline how tight the turnaround is for players returning from international duty.
Timeline and Squad Availability Ahead of Leeds United
On Saliba specifically, Arteta declined to put a firm date on his return. He stressed that the recovery process cannot be rushed. “We don’t really know the number of weeks Wilo is going to be out. It’s about a healing process, and everything is a bit different. We know we have to respect certain timings,” Arteta said. “The progression has been really positive in the last few weeks. We need to wait and see how that one reacts when we start to put some load into it.”
No return timeline has been confirmed for Timber. This latest Arsenal injury news leaves Arteta needing to assess Odegaard and Havertz over the coming days. Arsenal look to bounce back from their 3-0 defeat to Brighton when Leeds United visit the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, 10 October.
Comments.
Loading comments…