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Martin Odegaard Injury Update as Norway Weigh Arsenal Captain Role Against Wales

Martin Odegaard is in Norway’s squad for the Nations League trip to Wales, which tells you plenty about where this situation stands. A few days ago there was concern after the Arsenal captain took a kick from behind by Bernardo Silva in the defeat to Portugal. Now, the tone is calmer and the expectation is that this is manageable.

Odegaard’s ankle problem has been monitored closely all week. He left the stadium limping after the Portugal match and has spent most of the time managing pain rather than getting full work on the training pitch. That usually points to uncertainty. In this case, scans have offered reassurance.

Odegaard injury latest

The key point is simple. Norway do not believe this is a serious injury. The pain has reduced significantly, the medical outlook has improved and there is no plan to send him back to Arsenal early. He has travelled to Cardiff and has been included in the 23-man squad, which matters more than any optimistic noise around him.

That does not mean he starts. It means he has a chance.

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Norway squad decision before Wales

Norway manager Stale Solbakken was direct about it. “I wish I could say yes, but I don’t know,” Solbakken said. “I can’t say no either. He’s going to do some testing today, but we’ll see. He’s here. If he wasn’t, there wouldn’t have been a chance.

“It’s whether he’s a hundred [per cent]. Whether he feels like he can play with it. He has to feel like he’s useful and that his body is giving him the answers he wants. Then there’s still over a day until the game.”

Arsenal captain set for Portugal trip

That is the sensible line. No drama, no forced comeback, no guesswork dressed up as certainty. If Odegaard gets through the final checks and feels right, he plays some part. If not, Norway wait. Assuming there is no setback, he is also expected to stay with the squad for the return meeting with Portugal on Sunday.

For Arsenal, that is the real takeaway. This looks like a pain issue, not a major lay-off. For Norway, it remains a late call, but a far less worrying one than it first appeared.