Why Martin Odegaard Isn’t Playing for Arsenal vs. Bournemouth

Arsenal have received a major injury boost in Ødegaard’s absence.

Martin Ødegaard has endured a luckless campaign. | Miguel Lemos/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The knock Martin Ødegaard sustained during Tuesday’s Champions League victory over Sporting CP has proven to be serious enough to keep him sidelined for the visit of Bournemouth.

When Mikel Arteta was asked about the availability of four different Arsenal players on Friday, including Ødegaard, all he would admit was: “Yes, there have been changes since yesterday.” Would all of them be available, the Spanish boss was asked. “I don’t know,” he unconvincingly insisted, “some of them.”

Fortunately, not all managers are so cautious when delivering health updates.

Ødegaard’s international boss Ståle Solbakken revealed in midweek that Norway’s captain had suffered a “knock where he shouldn’t have” which forced him off against Sporting. Solbakken played down the injury as “minor” and predicted: “He’ll be back on the field before long.” However, his absence has been long enough to miss Saturday’s clash with the Cherries.

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Confirmed Arsenal Lineup vs. Bournemouth

Starting XI: David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Declan Rice, Martín Zubimendi; Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli; Viktor Gyökeres.

Substitutes: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Cristhian Mosquera, Marli Salmon, Piero Hincapié, Christian Nørgaard, Eberechi Eze, Max Dowman, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard.

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Arteta Boosted by Early Return

Eze is back way ahead of schedule. | Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images.

Arteta’s unreliable fitness updates can work both ways. While Ødegaard’s absence was not widely signposted, Eberechi Eze’s return came as a welcome piece of news this week.

Ødegaard’s creative alternative sustained a calf injury which ruled him out of the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City. While Arteta remained coy on a return date, reports suggested that Eze would be fortunate to feature at all in April. Yet, just a week after Easter the England international has risen to return to the bench for the clash with Bournemouth.

“My first conversation with him after he felt a niggle, he wanted to be available the next week, we knew that was impossible,” Arteta reflected. “But the recovery, the will that he’s shown from day one to get back as quickly as possible, how he’s pushed the medical staff and himself to be there [against Bournemouth], it’s just great to watch.”

“I didn’t know that he was so determined,” Arsenal’s boss gushed, “so obsessed and so willing to push his body. I didn’t know that part of him and it really surprised me in a really powerful way, how much he loves the game. When you take away somebody’s opportunity to play, you really see their reaction. His was—wow.”

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