While Arsenal celebrate the return of captain Martin Odegaard, another important player has been declared uncertain for this weekend’s pivotal match against London rivals Chelsea.
Odegaard has been out since September after suffering an ankle injury in a match against Austria while playing for his country.
Recently, Mikel Arteta’s team have struggled, dropping to fifth place in the Premier League after failing to win any of their last three league games. Given that the Gunners are now seven points behind league leaders Liverpool, this calls into question their hopes of winning the EPL this season.
Pay Attention: Get the best tips from our Bet of the day
However, Odegaard’s arrival has ushered in a glimpse of hope, with the Norwegian making a brief cameo in Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan in the Champions League in midweek.
Arsenal manager Arteta gives updates on Rice and Odegaard availability
Arteta, in his press conference of Friday, confirmed that his captain is available for selection this weekend against Chelsea, saying,
”Everybody in the squad will be fit and available to start the game, then it will be a decision on whether to start the game,” the Spanish manager said, per the Mirror, implying Odegaard is available as he was a part of the squad that travelled to Italy in midweek.
However, it was his comments on Declan Rice’s fitness that raised concern. The England international did not travel for Wednesday’s UCL encounter, and now the manager has expressed uncertainty on his defensive midfielder’s availability.
“I have to be very vague on that one because there’s no clarity if he’s going to be fit on the weekend,” Arteta said. “He hasn’t trained yet, and it’s not clear if he’ll be able to play.”
Despite this challenge, Arsenal will look to secure three points this weekend, fully aware that failure to do so could jeopardize their pursuit of their first league title since 2024.
