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Why Martin Odegaard Isn't Playing for Arsenal vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

The Norwegian playmaker is a surprise absence for the Gunners against Wolves, but why?
Barnaby Lane|
The Gunners will have to do without their captain on Saturday.
The Gunners will have to do without their captain on Saturday. | Sportimage/IMAGO

Arsenal fans were given an unpleasant surprise ahead of their team's Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.

Just over an hour before kickoff, it was announced that the club's star midfielder and captain Martin Ødegaard would miss out, with young Ethan Nwaneri taking his place.

Defender Gabriel has been given the captain’s armband in the Norwegian's absence, which will no doubt be a huge blow for Gunners given his quality in the middle of the park and final third.

Though Arsenal has yet to confirm why Ødegaard is not able to play against Wolves, a number of outlets claim that the 26-year-old is sick. The Sun also report that Ødegaard is absent "due to illness."

Also absent for Mikel Artetia's side is Spanish midfield Mikel Merino, though defender William Saliba returns to the starting lineup after having missed Arsenal's last two Premier League games with a hamstring injury.

Arsenal Confirmed Lineup vs. Wolverhampton Wanders (4-3-3)

GK: David Raya
RB: Jurrien Timber
CB: Gabriel Magalhães
CB: William Saliba
LB: Miles Lewis-Skelly
CM: Declan Rice
CM: Thomas Partey
CM: Ethan Nwaneri
RW: Gabriel Martinelli
ST: Kai Havertz
LW: Leandro Trossard

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Barnaby Lane
BARNABY LANE

Barnaby Lane, better known as Barney, is a soccer writer for SI FC. With nearly a decade of experience in the industry, he has worked for a range of household-name publications in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and has interviewed some of the world’s biggest athletes—from Usain Bolt and Rafael Nadal to Christian Pulisic (though his favorite interview remains Adebayo Akinfenwa). Barney specializes in Premier League soccer, covering everything from the nostalgia of years gone by to the modern, vastly different landscape of today’s game. He also has experience reporting on La Liga and Major League Soccer, the latter of which he developed a particular affinity for during his university days at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

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