Martin Odegaard provides update on injury and addresses concerns for Arsenal fans

Odegaard has been sidelined for Arsenal's last three matches, including the highly anticipated north London derby and Sunday's crucial showdown against Manchester City. This setback occurred during Norway's victory over Austria earlier this month.

The 26-year-old was forced to hobble off during the Nations League fixture and subsequent tests showed he had sustained ligament damage which Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta described as ‘quite significant’.

Arsenal have been coy over the timeframe for Odegaard’s return but reports have suggested the midfielder could be sidelined for around eight weeks.

Odegaard addressed his injury setback for the first time in his programme notes ahead of Arsenal’s Carabao Cup clash against Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday night.

‘It’s been a while since my last programme notes, so I thought I would start with the latest on my injury,’ he said.

‘It was a bad twist to my ankle, and I damaged some ligaments there, but it’s part of football and now I’m just trying to recover as quickly as I can.

‘I’m moving forward, making progress and I’m feeling more positive every day. I’m working hard and my only thought is to get back as soon as possible.’

Speaking last week, Arteta admitted coping without Odegaard would be a ‘big test’ for his Arsenal team, who are hoping to mount another title challenge and compete for the Champions League.

‘The scan showed some damage around the ligaments in the ankle so we are going to miss him,’ the Spaniard said.

‘It’s something quite significant so we are going to lose him for a while. Hopefully not months.’

On the influence of Odegaard in the Arsenal team, Arteta added: ‘He’s our captain. He’s been one of the biggest and best players in our team.

‘Our identity is very linked to how he plays and behaves. It’s a big test for the team to see how able we are to show a different face.’

Arsenal have so far coped well with Odegaard’s absence, beating north London rivals Tottenham away before earning a point at Premier League champions Manchester City last weekend.

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