Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta issued an injury update on club captain Martin Ødegaard ahead of the Gunners' Champions League tie against Atalanta.
Arsenal's captain was substituted off for Norway over the international break and looked to be in severe pain. Ødegaard didn't feature for Arsenal in the north London derby last weekend. "After a recent scan, the scan showed there's some damage especially in one of the ligaments in the ankle," Arteta said in a press conference.
"I don't want to do that because I'm not a doctor, but yet it's something quite significant so we're going to lose him for a while," Arteta said in regards to defining a timeline for his return. "Hopefully not months, but let's see.
Losing Ødegaard, not only Arsenal's captain but dynamic creator and leader in midfield, is a huge blow to the side's Champions League and Premier League aspirations. Ethan Nwaneri could be in line for more minutes moving forward, but Arsenal could also deploy a more defensive midfield with Jorginho getting more minutes alongside Declan Rice and Thomas Partey.
Arteta's team defended in a 4-4-2 shape with Leandro Trossard acting as a creator against Tottenham Hotspur, but the manager needs to figure out a stable plan until Ødegaard returns.
Arsenal travels to Gewiss Stadium on Thursday to face Europa League champion Atalanta.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal's Mikel Arteta Issues Martin Odegaard Injury Update.