Arsenal’s captain, Martin Ødegaard, has made a highly anticipated return to training after an ankle injury sustained on international duty with Norway in a match against Austria, where he was substituted for Kristian Thorstvedt. Ødegaard’s absence has been sorely felt, as Arsenal struggled through a three-game winless streak in the Premier League, currently sitting in fifth place.
In this stretch, the Gunners faced a tough 1-0 loss to Newcastle United, a frustrating 2-2 draw with Liverpool, and a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. Now, with pivotal fixtures on the horizon—including a Champions League clash against Inter Milan and a high-stakes London derby with Chelsea—fans are eager to see how Ødegaard’s return could uplift the squad’s performance.
This season, Ødegaard has appeared in three Premier League matches, starting all and accumulating 253 minutes on the pitch. Despite not yet scoring or assisting, he has showcased his playmaking abilities with an impressive 81% pass completion rate, creating one big chance while missing two others. His previous season was stellar, with 35 appearances, eight goals, ten assists, and 17 big chances created.
As he resumes training at the Sobha Realty Training Centre, Arsenal fans are optimistic that Ødegaard’s presence will drive the team forward, ready to rally behind their captain as he strives to make a powerful impact in the upcoming fixtures.
Pictures of Odegaard at the training center are shown below.
During the press conference ahead of the Milan clash, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta shared an update on Martin Ødegaard’s recovery.
“The positive news is that it’s great to have Martin back,” Arteta stated. “He trained with us for the first time today in a full session, and he felt good. It’s a bit earlier than we expected, but he was eager to be with the team. We’ll decide tomorrow whether we use him, but it’s a big step forward that he has traveled with us and is part of the squad.”
Arteta also provided an update on Declan Rice, saying, “Unfortunately, Declan picked up an injury against Newcastle. Although he was able to finish the game, he hasn’t felt right over the past few days. We’ll assess him on Thursday to determine if he’ll be fit for the weekend.”
Soure: www.arsenal.com
