Injury expert gives Martin Odegaard return timeline and it’s good news for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta

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Arsenal are sweating over the fitness of club captain Martin Odegaard once again, after he suffered a fresh injury problem against West Ham.

The Norwegian playmaker has struggled for a consistent run of games so far this season, due to injury concerns.

Odegaard picked up a shoulder injury earlier in the campaign that saw him miss a few games before it flared up once again.

Arsenal coped well with their newfound strength in depth, but the return of the captain came as quite a boost anyway.

However, during Arsenal’s win over West Ham, disaster struck again as Odegaard picked up a knee injury that saw him substituted early on in the match.

Mikel Arteta wasn’t too positive about the situation early on, but an injury expert has suggested that things may not be as bad as they seem.

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Martin Odegaard could be back soon after Arsenal injury update

There has been some rotten luck for Martin Odegaard this season, as he continues to pick up small injury issues that keep him sidelined.

Following his latest injury, Arteta wasn’t too positive, as he told the press: “I think he had a clash knee-to-knee, and immediately he was uncomfortable.

“I just spoke to him, he’s not positive about it. He’s got a brace on, we’ll have to wait and see from the doctors. But we haven’t been very lucky with that either.”

However, that initial concern could be eased, as Physio Scout revealed that the actual issue could be relatively minor.

Taking to social media, they said: “A blow to the outer quad at contact brings concern for a painful quad contusion/bone bruise injury. These can be extremely painful at first, but can settle quite fast as the week progresses.

“However, the other option is an injury to the MCL upon valgus stress at contact. Less likely here, but still an option.”

A quad issue or bone bruise could see Odegaard return over the next week, while anything regarding his MCL in his knee may be around the two-week mark, but that depends on severity.

While he was spotted wearing a knee brace, it doesn’t hint at one potential problem over the other.

Physio Scout continued: “Further scans will be required to confirm the exact nature and extent of the injury and to rule out any bone or ligament damage.”

That’s potentially positive news for Arteta, Odegaard and Arsenal, especially with the international break now here.

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Arsenal games Martin Odegaard could miss through injury

While injuries are never ideal, Odegaard’s may well have come at a good time to get him back on the road to recovery.

If the issue has him out for around a week, then he could make a return for Arsenal’s next Premier League match, against Fulham.

It could be a tight crunch if it’s two weeks or more, though, with games against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, before Crystal Palace, Brighton and Burnley.

It remains to be seen whether the scans could bring up something more sinister, however, which could change the outlook for Arsenal.