Arsenal hit with repeat injury as Liverpool watch closely | OneFootball

Liverpool’s rivals in the Premier League title race have suffered a fresh setback with Martin Ødegaard leaving the pitch injured against Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal blow as Martin Ødegaard injury confirmed

As reported by The Independent, the Arsenal captain was forced off after just 16 minutes following a heavy fall on his right shoulder. He initially tried to continue but was eventually replaced by teenager Ethan Nwaneri.

The 26-year-old has struggled with the same problem in recent weeks. He was withdrawn in Arsenal’s clash with Leeds last month and then featured only from the bench in the defeat at Anfield the following week.

His recurrence comes at a difficult time for Mikel Arteta’s squad. Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are already sidelined, leaving Arsenal short of key players during a demanding September schedule.

Why Liverpool could see this as a Premier League boost

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

For Liverpool, any disruption to Arsenal’s strongest XI is significant given how tight the title race promises to be. Martin Ødegaard has been central to the Gunners’ creativity since joining and his absence could heavily affect their attacking rhythm.

The Reds have already strengthened this summer with major signings such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, and while our boss Arne Slot will stress the importance of focusing on ourselves, fewer options for Arsenal could make a difference over the coming months.

We’ve already seen caution over Isak’s fitness, with it looking likely we won’t be pushing him to play more minutes than is necessary during the next few weeks.

Although Curtis Jones is currently also sidelined, we hope this cautious approach to player fitness means short-term issues rather than long-term or repeats of the same injuries.

The Norwegian midfielder’s injury was described as a “recurrence” of his shoulder problem, which will be a major worry for Arteta as his side face fixtures against Athletic Bilbao, Manchester City, and Newcastle United in quick succession.

With Arsenal’s treatment room filling up, Liverpool may have been given an early advantage in what looks set to be another relentless race for the Premier League crown.

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