MARTIN ODEGAARD was due to have another scan today as Arsenal nervously wait to learn the extent of his ankle injury.
The Gunners captain was forced off midway through the second half of Norway's win against Austria on Monday and is a major doubt for Sunday's north London derby.
Odegaard flew back to London yesterday and was photographed boarding his flight with the aid of crutches.
The midfielder was assessed by Arsenal's medical staff upon his return and is due to have another scan today.
Norway doctor Ola Sand told Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang this morning that the initial signs are Odegaard has not fractured his ankle.
Mikel Arteta will be hoping that is the case, given Arsenal face a crucial week.
After facing Tottenham on Sunday, they travel to Atalanta for their Champions League opener next Thursday, before a trip to champions Manchester City the following Sunday.
Odegaard is the heartbeat of Arteta's team, and now the Spaniard has a serious selection headache, as no one in the squad can match what he brings.
Here, we assess the manager's options.
DROP HAVERTZ INTO MIDFIELD
This feels the most likely solution if Odegaard is out for an extended period.
This story is from the September 11, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 11, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Diddy held in New York amid assault claims
SEAN “Diddy” Combs was arrested in New York following an indictment from a grand jury.
Radio host Theakston thanks listeners after cancer diagnosis
JAMIE THEAKSTON has revealed he has been diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer after listeners alerted him that “something wasn’t quite right” with his voice.
Familiar failings haunt Postecoglou but Spurs fans must not lose faith
THERE are two ways of looking at Sunday's north London derby from a Tottenham perspective.
MBAPPE IS OMINOUS FOR PRETENDERS TO THRONE
WATCHING Manchester City's humbling of Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final two seasons ago, it was easy to assume the changing of the guard at the summit of European football had finally arrived.
'ERLING'S SO GOOD WE JUST LAUGH'
JORGINHO SAYS ARSENAL DO NOT FEAR FACING HAALAND ON SUNDAY
Timber's progressive style offers Arsenal an unexpected solution
After year out, right-back shows he could be the answer on the left
THG break-up plan fails to help shares
A RADICAL break-up plan for Matt Moulding’s Hut Group business THG today failed to inspire an upturn in the e-commerce’s firm’s stock market fortunes.
Earls Court firms submit £10bn new town proposal
THE regeneration of Earls Court came a crucial step closer today after 14 years of uncertainty when developers submitted their planning application for a £10 billion green new town.
Why sustainable travel isn't just about carbon footprints
Flying harms the planet, yet tourism can drive positive hange. Here's how to travel smart, by Juliet Kinsman
The classless society was a lie. The class system isn't dead, it's been reimagined
READING the dripping with snobbery and class-prejudice articles and social media attacks on Charlie Mullins, the Pimlico Plumbers boss who has declared he is taking all of his money out of the UK because of Labour’s attitude to the wealthy, I suddenly realised that there has been a seismic shift in British culture.