Arsenal sweating on Martin Odegaard’s fitness after he was forced off against Atletico Madrid due to knee discomfort | OneFootball

Arsenal are sweating on the fitness of Martin Odegaard in a potential blow for manager Mikel Arteta after the midfielder was forced off last night due to knee discomfort, according to the Sun.

The Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw in the first-leg of their Champions League semi-final tie and will be desperate to secure a win at Emirates Stadium next Tuesday in the second-leg.

Arsenal were without Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber against Atletico on Wednesday night and will hope Odegaard does not miss out on the second-leg.

He went off after 57 minutes after feeling discomfort in his knee.

The knee has troubled the Gunners captain for much of the campaign and he will now be assessed ahead of the Premier League against Fulham on Saturday.

Arsenal will go six points clear of Manchester City with a victory but would have played two more games than Pep Guardiola’s men.

They could do with Odegaard for the game but it remains to be seen whether he will recover in time and be fit for the match.

Injuries and Arteta’s selection preference have limited the 27-year-old to 15 Premier League starts this term, while he has started four times in the Champions League.

Odegaard has made 32 appearances across all competitions, with one goal and seven assists to his name.

He ended last season with six goals and ten assists across the Premier League and Champions League and was involved in 22 goals in both competitions in 2023-24.

Odegaard made the PFA Team of the Year in 2022-23 and 2023-24 and was also Arsenal Player of the Season for both campaigns.

However, he has suffered a huge dip in form in recent months and the Gunners could do with an improved version of him in the coming weeks as they look to win both the Premier League and Champions League.