Arsenal star ‘frustrated and grumpy’ over injury setback | OneFootball

Norway boss lifts lid on Odegaard mood as reports point to return against Southampton after cautious cup final call

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Martin Odegaard has not enjoyed watching from the sidelines, with his national coach revealing that Arsenal’s captain has been left “frustrated and grumpy” by his latest injury setback.

The midfielder has been managing his second knee problem of the season since the win at Tottenham Hotspur on 22 February, with Mikel Arteta determined not to risk him before he is fully ready.

“He is very frustrated and grumpy,” said Stale Solbakken, who was without Odegaard for Norway’s friendlies against the Netherlands and Switzerland, at the start of the international break.

“He has not been involved since we beat Moldova [in September]. It is his last international match. He was not on the field against Israel, Estonia or Italy. It is clear that it hurts.

“Now, it is three weeks until Arsenal play again, or two-and-a-half weeks. I think it could be a goal for Martin to be in a squad [for his club] then. It is within reach.

“There is no reason for him to travel now. He has to train [with Arsenal].

“If he wants to use a day off to come here, he is welcome to do so, but it is not something that has been planned.”

That timetable tallies with reports in England suggesting that Odegaard is in line for a comeback in Arsenal’s next match against Southampton on Saturday.

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John Cross wrote that, although Odegaard has missed the last seven games, he was close to returning for the League Cup final and there is hope he will be available after the international break.

Having struggled with his knee, the problem now appears to have cleared up, and the expectation is that he will be fit for the run-in.

Ryan Taylor added that Odegaard is targeting a return in the FA Cup tie against Southampton after working hard behind the scenes to get back to full fitness, and that there had been some thought he might even make the bench at Wembley before the decision was taken to hold him back.

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That call, to prioritise his fitness rather than gamble on a cup final, underlines how important Arsenal consider their captain to be with the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup still in play.

Odegaard was left out of Norway’s squad for this March window, with his country playing only friendly fixtures, and any temptation to push him through for those games was sensibly been resisted with the World Cup looming in the summer.

In total, Odegaard has missed 22 games this season with shoulder and knee problems, all stemming from contact injuries.