September 18th 2024.
Arsenal's captain Martin Odegaard sustained an ankle injury while playing for Norway during the international break. Concerns arose among the keen-eyed Arsenal fans as they noticed a crucial detail in the club's official team photo. They fear that the injury might be more severe than what the club is revealing.
Mikel Arteta, the manager, has been tight-lipped about Odegaard's health despite being asked multiple times for an update. The 25-year-old was initially expected to be out for at least three weeks, which means he would miss important matches against Tottenham (which Arsenal won in his absence), Manchester City, and Atalanta in the Champions League. After their victory in the North London derby on Sunday, Arteta mentioned that they are still waiting for news on Odegaard and that he was not available to play.
The team will be traveling to Italy for their upcoming fixture against last season's Europa League winners, but it seems highly likely that they will have to do without their star playmaker. Odegaard was present for the official team photo shoot on Tuesday, but fans were quick to spot an obscured ankle, potentially hidden by a strategically placed ball.
One Arsenal fan expressed their disappointment, stating, "They put the ball over Martin Odegaard's left ankle, it's not looking good, bruv." Another fan also noticed the same detail, saying, "Blocking Odegaard's ankle with the ball. I know what you're doing." Some fans even made light of the situation, joking that the club should have used trophies instead of a ball to make it less obvious.
In Odegaard's absence, Leandro Trossard stepped in as a replacement against Tottenham and is expected to continue in that role against Atalanta. The club is also still waiting for the return of summer signings Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino, with the latter pictured without a sling in recent days. However, it is uncertain when they will make their comeback, especially for Merino, who fractured his shoulder during his first training session with the club and might be out until the end of October's international break.
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