Arsenal Captain Martin Odegaard Withdrawn from Norway Squad Due to Injury
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been withdrawn from Norway's squad for their upcoming international matches due to a left knee injury sustained against West Ham.
The 26-year-old midfielder will miss Norway's World Cup qualifier against Israel on October 11 and a friendly against New Zealand on October 14, having suffered a medial collateral ligament injury.
Odegaard will remain at Arsenal for assessment and treatment, with no timeline provided for his return to action.
In contrast, Declan Rice, who also sustained a back injury during the same match, is expected to report for England duty as scheduled.
Odegaard set an unfortunate record on Saturday, becoming the first player in Premier League history to be substituted before half-time in three consecutive starts. He was substituted early in victories against Leeds and Nottingham Forest due to a recurring shoulder issue.
Against West Ham, he was taken off after just 30 minutes following a "knee-to-knee" collision with opposition forward Crysencio Summerville, as described by manager Mikel Arteta.
After the match, Arteta commented, "I just spoke to him. He's not positive about it. He has a brace on. We will have to wait and see what the doctors say, but we haven't been very lucky with injuries this season. We haven't had him available since the start of the season for various reasons, including the shoulder issues and now this injury. We will need to assess the extent of this injury and find solutions, but he is our captain and brings a unique dimension to our attacking play."