Odegaard has been missing since the September international break with an ankle problem suffered in a collision that saw the midfielder land awkwardly. However, Norway manager Ståle Solbakken has been speaking to VG and provided a favourable update on the player.
“Everything indicates that things are going according to plan,” he said. “So it's about the last steps when you have to train with opponents and in team training.
“It depends on how he responds to that, but we have a legitimate hope that he is ready.” This is certainly similar to what Mikel Arteta has said on the subject as he said before the loss to Bournemouth that the club was hoping he’d return within the seven games before the November interruption.
Speaking in Monday’s press conference, he was asked about Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, who has also been missing after an injury with England earlier this month. He said: “They are closer and both progressing really well. Martin is still not fit.
“I’ve been working very hard on my recovery in the past few weeks, and missing out on big Champions League nights like this just makes me more determined and motivated to get back as soon as possible,” Odegaard wrote.
“I’m feeling better and better each day, but when it’s an ankle injury you have ups and downs as well. Some days you feel really good, and then sometimes you can have a little reaction. But in general, it’s getting better and I feel like I’m getting closer now.
“I’ve been doing a lot of work in the gym, and was on an anti-gravity treadmill recently, which is really good because it takes the weight off. Especially at the beginning that was really good, to be running again like that when you’ve been offloading the leg and not using it as much as normal. That was a good feeling, helping me get back to moving in a normal way, and being able to run after not being able to do that.”
While certainly positive, there is a catch for Arsenal. Hearing from Solbakken, his words while consolidating the hope that Arsenal will see the skipper on the field in the near future, it also means he will be relied on for his national side again.
The nightmare scenario would be that Odegaard simply suffers too many minutes in the delicate recovery from a problematic injury. Norway have two more Nations League matches against Slovenia and Kazakhstan in November, which they hope will help see them finally qualify for a major tournament after so long away.
Both Odegaard and Erling Haaland are key to that hope and any indication Odegaard could be fit will naturally see Solbakken call up his national team captain. For Arsenal, it will be yet another fortnight of sitting with fingers crossed.
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