After Odegaard withdrawal, Arsenal have another injury update for the international break

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal’s injury concerns haven’t eased in recent weeks as they continue to face fitness problems within their squad.

Mikel Arteta has been missing key players such as Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus and Piero Hincapie in recent weeks, while Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard have had spells out.

The club captain has been particularly plagued by problems, with two separate shoulder concerns keeping him sidelined.

The latest issue saw Odegaard pick up a knee injury during Arsenal’s win over West Ham.

Now, it has been confirmed that the playmaker has withdrawn from the Norway squad for the upcoming international break.

But he isn’t the only one that Arsenal had some concern about, as another star was a worry for the upcoming two-week break.

• READ MORE: What Bukayo Saka now thinks about Arsenal’s ambitions as new contract talks officially booked

Declan Rice expected to join up with England despite Arsenal injury

Odegaard’s knee injury and subsequent withdrawal from the Norway squad come as little surprise to Arsenal.

There were some big concerns over the fitness of the midfielder, who had to wear a knee brace after a collision in midfield.

He wasn’t the only fitness concern, however, as Declan Rice also picked up a slight problem.

The England international went to the ground holding his back, with Mikel Arteta revealing some worries about that.

“He’s not all right because he asked me to come off, so that’s a shame,” the manager said after the game.

“He had a pain in his back, and he could not carry on, which is something very unusual for Declan, so we’ll have to assess him and see how he is.”

It seems, however, that there is positive news on the midfielder.

Reporter Tom Canton claims that Rice is still expected to join up with the England squad, coming as quite a fitness boost.

Rice has been an important player for Arsenal; however, his availability for England suggests he will be fine to return to the club and play after the break.

Some of that will depend on exactly how much Thomas Tuchel will play him during the break.

• READ MORE: David Silva believes star Arsenal released is one of the very best he’s ever played with, Arsene Wenger must agree

Important games coming up for Arsenal amid injury struggles

Arsenal have some extremely important matches coming up after the international break, with some chances for them to rack up some wins.

Fulham proved to be a difficult side to take down last season, and the Gunners will be on the search for revenge.

Beyond that, some cup clashes against the likes of Atletico Madrid and Brighton will be important in progressing further.

Crystal Palace and Burnley will provide tough challenges, but it’s an opportunity for Arsenal to put more pressure on at the top of the table.

Their ability to do that could be dependent on their injury status, as it remains to be seen how fit Odegaard, Rice and a whole host of others will be.