MARTIN ODEGAARD is a major injury risk for north London Derby after limping off in tears on international duty.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will already be without key midfielder Declan Rice following his red card against Brighton.
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Martin Odegaard injured his ankle on international duty. Credit: YouTube
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He picked up an injury against AustriaCredit: YouTube
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Odegaard limped off with a classy move from his teammate Erling Haaland. Credit: Rex
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His girlfriend Helene Spilling looked on worriedCredit: YouTube
And now the Gunners boss is sweating on his captain’s fitness, which could be another heavy blow.
Odegaard, 25, captained Norway in their Nations League Group B3 match against Austria.
But he was in agony just after the hour after a seemingly innocuous 50-50 tussle for possession, turning his left ankle.
Odegaard immediately went down clutching his joint, writhing in agony as replays showed the severity of the seemingly innocuous incident with Christoph Baumgartner.
And worried Norway boss Stale Solbakken admitted it looked “painful” when questioned by the media after full-time.
He said: “It looked painful, also in the dressing room.
“He sat with physios and had no chance to continue. We know it’s a sprained ankle.
“And as those of us who have played football know, with luck it can turn out well, if the ligaments are not torn.
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“But I’m not sure that Mikel Arteta will call me tonight to praise me.”
TV cameras cut to the crowd to show Odegaard’s girlfriend Helene Spilling looking on worriedly.
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The playmaker was treated by physios on the pitch with his head in his hands before hobbled gingerly and in tears, aided by doctors as he could barely put any weight on his left foot.
Baumgartner apologized for the collision – even though the RB Leipzig striker was not to blame for the injury in the real fight for the ball.
Erling Haaland offered some consolation to his teammate as the star departed.
But ironically, the injury could boost Haaland’s own title hopes.
I’m not sure Mikel Arteta will call me tonight to praise me.
Still Solbakken
Arsenal face Spurs on Sunday afternoon – before next Thursday’s Champions League first leg away to Atalanta, then away to the Etihad to meet the champions on September 22.
And the fear that he will be without his influential skipper is now very real.
Rice’s suspension rules him out of the clash with Tottenham, while new £32m midfielder Mikel Merino is sidelined with a broken shoulder suffered in the Gunners’ first training session.
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And if Odegaard is also unavailable for the derby, Arteta will have to experiment.
Thomas Partey, Jorginho and dropping Kai Havertz could be the most likely options – with the manager unlikely to turn to inexperienced youngsters Myles Lewis-Skelly or Ethan Nwaneri for such a high-profile match.
By the way, it was already an expensive international break for Arteta with new defender Riccardo Calafiori picking up a bizarre injury and leaving the Italian camp after a strange incident.
In Oslo, Felix Horn Myhre was undone by former Manchester United loanee Marcel Sabitzer in the opener.
But Haaland grabbed the winner ten minutes from time after initially being flagged for offside before a lengthy VAR review showed he was in the game.
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The incident was a real and fair fight for the ball Credit: Rex
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The Norwegian was clearly in a lot of painCredit: YouTube
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Odegaard’s Arsenal have a crucial week with three tough away games Credit: Rex
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He could barely put weight on his left leg as he started Credit: Rex
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