Arsenal Captain Martin Odegaard Joins Up With Norway Squad Despite Fitness Concerns

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has joined up with the Norway squad ahead of November’s Nations League fixtures despite concerns over his fitness levels after his recent return from an ankle injury.

Martin Odegaard Called Up To Norway Squad

Martin Odegaard marked his return to the Arsenal lineup with a masterful assist for Gabriel Martinelli’s opener against Chelsea on Sunday evening, before the Blues struck back through Pedro Neto to secure a 1-1 draw.

The Norwegian had spent close to two months on the sidelines with an ankle injury suffered on international duty back in September, but made his long-awaited return as a late substitute in the 1-0 defeat to Inter in midweek.

Odegaard ↪️
Martinelli ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/jrVcGxZfyT

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 11, 2024

Odegaard was then thrown straight into the starting XI for the trip to Stamford Bridge in Gameweek 12 and lasted the entire 90 minutes, which has seemingly prompted Norway manager Stale Solbakken to add the 25-year-old to his squad for their upcoming Nations League matches against Slovenia and Kazakhstan.

His call-up has raised concerns among sections of the Gunners’ fanbase, with many questioning whether their captain is fit enough to warrant an international call-up having only just returned from injury.

Speaking to Norwegian media, Odegaard’s national team manager provided some reassurance over how they plan to handle his situation, stating: “We’ll see how it turns out. The ankle, the medics and Martin decide this.”

Arteta Frustrated Over Arsenal Injury Crisis

His call-up comes amid a frustrating time for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who has had to deal with several injury concerns in recent weeks, which were only worsened over the weekend as Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were forced off.

Rice played the fixture with a broken toe and was withdrawn on the 71-minute mark, while Saka came off 10 minutes later after receiving treatment for a leg injury. Arteta admitted that the pair’s injuries ‘don’t look good’, which casts doubt over whether they will be fit enough for England duty.

Following the draw against Chelsea, Arteta stated in his press conference that the last eight weeks have been a ‘nightmare’ due to a combination of injuries and suspensions.

“What I’m praying is that after the international break we have the team fully physically equipped. That they are available and that they are fit, because it’s been a nightmare for eight weeks,” he said.

“Doubt after doubt, issue after issue, not only with the ones that are not able to play, but with the ones who are able to play only for certain moments and not able to play. So I’m just asking that, because the desire the team has and how much we want it, there’s no question. It’s going to come. We just need that on our side to be more consistent.”

The Gunners return to action on the first Saturday following the international break as they welcome East Midlands outfit Nottingham Forest to the Emirates, with the pair currently level on points in fourth and fifth.