Mikel Arteta has said that Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard will be out for a “while” with an ankle injury.
The midfielder suffered the injury while on international duty with Norway and missed the north London derby win over Tottenham on Sunday.
He is now expected to miss a significant amount of time, with Arteta telling reporters: “The scans showed that he’s got some damage especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle.
“It’s something quite significant so we’re going to lose him for a while.
“He’s our captain. He’s been one of the biggest and best players in our team. Our identity is very linked to how he plays and behaves. It’s a big test for the team to see how able we are to show a different face.
The Gunners boss added that he hoped it would not keep Odegaard out for “months”, however.
His side take on Atalanta in their opening game of the Champions League on Thursday.
FEATURED IMAGE: BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP VIA ONE FOOTBALL