- Odegaard Sprained His Ankle in An International Game Against Austria
- How Martin Odegaard `s Injury Scare Shows Where Arsenal And Mikel Arteta Have Been Inefficient
Martin Odegaard hobbled off in the 67th minute against Austria on Monday after spraining his ankle. The 25-year-old will undergo further tests in London to determine the severity of the injury.
This injury arises at a crucial time, as Arsenal head into a challenging run of fixtures in September. The Gunners will face Tottenham on Sunday, Atalanta on Thursday, and then travel to play Manchester City on the 22nd of September.
A potential long- or mid-term injury to an important player like Martin Odegaard will undoubtedly worry Mikel Arteta. However, Arteta himself plays a role in why Arsenal might struggle without some of their key stars.
Why?
The Arsenal squad lacks the depth to handle situations like this effectively. The Gunners have few real replacements for players like Martin Odegaard, William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, and even Declan Rice.
They recently signed Mikel Merino, who could have helped cover for a potential Odegaard injury. Unfortunately, the Spaniard sustained an injury during his first training session and will be out for two months.
Arsenal had a strong backup for Martin Odegaard in Fabio Vieira, but Mikel Arteta’s rigidity and failure to rotate the squad properly led to the Portuguese player leaving on loan to Porto late last month.
Arteta’s overreliance on trusted players limited Fabio Vieira’s minutes while he was at the club. The arrival of Merino this summer pushed Vieira even further down the pecking order, prompting him to seek a return to his former club.
Arteta can learn from Pep Guardiola by observing how the Manchester City boss integrates players to deputize for star players. This season, for instance, academy product Rico Lewis stepped in to ease the absence of a fully fit Kyle Walker.
This situation should also serve as a wake-up call for Arsenal. They have reached a point in their project where the foundation is strong enough to integrate top “second-choice” players. These players could provide much-needed rest for stars like William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Declan Rice.
Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United have all dealt with severe injury crises in recent seasons, which derailed their campaigns each time. Arsenal should have prepared for such a scenario this season by signing top-quality backups for their key players. Hopefully, Martin Odegaard’s injury will not be serious, and Arsenal will address their squad depth issues in January.
