Odegaard injury concerns calmed by manager | OneFootball

Some in Norway are worried over Martin Odegaard’s injuries, with one former captain questioning what it may mean for the longer term.

Yet, inside the national setup, the mood appears much calmer, with Stale Solbakken sounding confident that the Arsenal captain is moving in the right direction.

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Concern has been raised in Norway over Martin Odegaard’s fitness and long-term workload, but the country’s head coach does not share the alarm.

The Arsenal captain has missed Norway’s last three international camps through injury, with his most recent appearance for his country coming at the start of September 2025.

His absence was felt again in the goalless draw with Switzerland, where former Norway goalkeeper Rune Almenning Jarstein pointed to the midfielder’s importance. “Martin has delivered very well,” he said on VGTV. “He is captain and a leader. What he does on the pitch both with and without the ball is missed. Hope he gets well quickly again, because we need him in the World Cup.”

The 27-year-old has also not completed a full match for Arsenal since the end of 2025. Struggling with his knee, he has missed the last seven games, bringing him to 22 missed matches this season.

The broader concern has come from Kjetil Rekdal, manager of Aalesund (currently 11th in the Eliteserien), who questioned whether the pattern of injuries in Odegaard’s season could reflect the strain of starting senior football so young.

“Naturally it is worrying,” Rekdal said on VGTV. “We must remember that he played senior football when he was 15 years old. I am not saying that it does, but it can mean that the wear and tear is beginning to affect his body.

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“Maybe he will not have such a long career in his 30s and upwards as others who started senior football later,”

He added: “It can be bad luck, but he has had a few breaks now. A player who is injured cannot deliver anything at all. The most important thing is that he gets good training before he plays matches again.”

That concern has not been echoed by Norway manager Stale Solbakken, who made clear after the match that he remains relaxed about his captain’s condition. “Him I am confident about,” Solbakken told TV 2.

“He is very much getting going now. He has less and less pain. Hopefully, he will play one of the nearest Arsenal matches, and then it rolls by itself,”.

“So I am not afraid of that, unless something new comes. You never know that, but it should not.”

It is hoped that Odegaard will be fit to return for Arsenal against Southampton in the FA Cup this weekend.

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Aftenposten note that Solbakken had already dismissed the idea that Odegaard’s injury issues could be linked to having started at senior level so early.

“No, it is a few knocks he has had,” he said before the camp began, which is correct. All of Odegard’s injuries this season have been because of impacts. “That he switched off at a throw-in and got kicked in the stomach, I do not think has anything to do with him starting early. That I am not worried about. He is light in the body and did not play so many matches at the start.”

He also made clear where the real priority lies for Norway. “He is desperate to play matches and come to these camps, but it is the World Cup that counts, not friendly matches in March,” he said.

That is also the point Rekdal returned to as he looked ahead to the summer. With Arsenal pushing for a first league title since 2004 while also competing in the FA Cup and Champions League, he suggested Norway would benefit if Odegaard focused first on arriving at the tournament in the right condition.

“Arsenal seem to be heading towards a potential league title without Martin for the time being,” Rekdal said. “Now maybe he can think a little Norwegian and selfish for our sake. That he prioritises getting a few matches at the end of the season and we get a rested Odegaard in top form in the World Cup.”