Mikel Arteta could still be without a couple of big names when Arsenal return to action this weekend.
Martin Odegaard appeared to suffer a knock during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Sporting CP in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final. The Gunners captain made way for Kai Havertz, who fired Mikel Arteta’s side to victory at the José Alvalade Stadium on Tuesday night.
Shortly before Odegaard was replaced by the matchwinner, he seemed to sustain a knee problem, which required on-field medical treatment. The Norway international was later taken off, but he didn’t look to be in any discomfort.
Odegaard was then spotted moving freely following the full-time whistle, celebrating the win with his teammates. Although the 27-year-old midfielder appeared to have shaken off the knock, Jesper Mathisen claimed that he wouldn’t have gone down without reason.
Speaking on Norwegian television channel TV2 after the game, the former Eliteserien defender reflected on the moment that Odegaard went down. Mathisen said: “Those are scary images. Like watching a horror movie.
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“A nightmare. He’s not sitting down for no reason. It would have been a big loss for both Arsenal and Norway if he had to go out with an injury again.”
As it stands, the severity of the potential injury remains unclear, but Arteta may provide an update on Odegaard’s fitness when he faces the press on Friday. The Spaniard will hope his skipper is fit to face Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
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Speaking to reporters in Lisbon, Arteta explained why he was delighted with his side’s performance. The Gunners boss said: “Extremely happy, obviously It was a big night, a big moment in the season.
“Especially where we’re coming from. I think we had a point to prove. And yesterday I talked about identity and the things that I wanted to see on that pitch. It certainly happened.
“Certainly, there was a shift there. And then we played our opponent. It’s very tricky, very difficult to play. That’s the reason why they won 17 games in a row here. They haven’t lost for a long, long time and really had to earn it.
“We had moments of real dominance with a lot of situations in and around the box without creating enough threat sometimes. Lacking to be a bit crispier, the movement a bit sharper, the final ball.
“But we took the game where we wanted. But after saying that, we knew as well that it’s a team extremely dangerous when they have space to run, and they have two situations where David [Raya] had to intervene in a brilliant way.
“And then, again, the story of the season, the finish is coming when the most important part of the game is about to happen and then make the difference for us to go and win it.”
On Havertz, who came off the bench to replace Odegaard and fire Arsenal to victory, Arteta said: “He’s lived it, he’s been part of something and that’s a really important thing to have in and around the team.
“And today he was ready, I could see from the disappointment the other day that he wanted to play immediately and the action of the goal, both from Gabi [Martinelli] and him, is fabulous.”
