Arsenal fans may have chosen some more colourful language, and whether the Gunners pass or fail this examination will go a long way to determining the success of their season.
Arteta confirmed last night Odegaard sustained “significant” ankle ligament damage playing for Norway last week.
Odegaard will miss tonight's Champions League opener against Atalanta in Italy and Sunday's Premier League showdown with Manchester City at the Etihad.
Being without Odegaard is rare for Arsenal and the challenge for Arteta is ensuring his absence does not derail their season.
Since Odegaard was named captain in 2022, he has missed just five Premier League games. The midfielder is integral to how Arsenal play and they must find a way for their attack to fire without him. Also, without the ball, Odegaard leads the Arsenal press, which helped them have the best defence in the Premier League last season.
This story is from the September 19, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the September 19, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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