Gary Neville names two Arsenal players who are more important than Martin Odegaard

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Arsenal were recently rocked during the international break after Martin Odegaard suffered a serious ankle injury.

Ahead of Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Manchester City, Paul Merson had already described the absence of Odegaard as a “big problem” for Mikel Arteta, which goes without saying, given the fact the Norwegian captains the Gunners.

However – according to Gary Neville – there are actually two players more important to Arsenal than Martin Odegaard…

Gary Neville puts Declan Rice and William Saliba above Martin Odegaard

Speaking on Stick to Football, Neville challenged the notion that the Arsenal No.8 is the cog who makes Arteta’s side click, admitting that he feels William Saliba and Declan Rice are more crucial.

The 49-year-old said: “If you were City… he (Odegaard) wouldn’t be the first player I would take out of Arsenal’s team. I would pick Rice or Saliba. I don’t know which one, but I would take Rice or Saliba out of the team before I picked Odegaard.”

We agree.

While Odegaard – who may not return until November – is obviously vital to Arsenal, Saliba and Rice contribute significantly to the spine of the side, especially in a physical sense, due to their rare profiles as footballers.

For example, you would be hard pushed to find a central defender as quick as the France international, which enables Arsenal to play a high line.

In regards to Rice, there are few players around who have progressed from the centre of defence, into defensive midfield, and then into a goalscoring midfielder throughout their careers – the England international scored seven and assisted another ten in 51 appearances last season.

Therefore, if Arteta was to lose either Saliba or Rice, it would be much harder to replace them in the starting XI than it would Odegaard, who is a top player, but a more replaceable profile.

Arsenal should trust Ethan Nwaneri as cover

Rather than dip into the transfer market in 2025 to find someone similar to Odegaard, Arteta should use his strong coaching skills to mould Ethan Nwaneri into an effective backup.

The 17-year-old has looked mature beyond his years whenever Arteta has called upon him this season, notably scoring twice in Wednesday’s 5-1 Carabao Cup win over Bolton Wanderers.

Interestingly, Odegaard is believed to have taken Nwaneri under his wing at the Emirates Stadium, so perhaps this suggested plan is already in motion.