Martin Odegaard Arsenal injury timeline clear as Norway set out stance

Arsenalwill be hoping that Martin Odegaard can return to full fitness in the near future after the midfielder suffered a knee injury.

The Gunnersconfirmed that Odegaard picked up a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury in his knee during the 2-0 win over West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Odegaard has been recovering from a shoulder injury for much of the campaign, and was handed a start for the clash against the Hammers before being substituted in the first half with a knee injury.

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“I think he [Odegaard] had a clash, knee-to-knee and immediately he was uncomfortable," Arteta told reporters on Saturday. "I just spoke to him and he is not positive about it.

“He has got a brace on. We will have to wait from the doctors but we have been very unlucky with that. Yeah, we haven’t had him since the start for one reason or another. The shoulder twice and then this injury.

“We have to wait and see the extent of the injury. We will have to find solutions, but obviously he is our captain and is a player that gives us a completely different dimension with things that he can do, especially in the attack. Let’s wait and hopefully it is not that bad.”

Odegaard now faces a period of recovery before being cleared to return for Arsenal again. The Gunners' next match will see them face Fulham on October 18 and it remains to be seen if Odegaard will be available for the match.

MCL's are graded from one to three depending on the severity, with Odegaard continuing to be assessed by the Arsenal medical staff. Minor MCL injuries can take between one and three weeks to recover, depending on the grade of the injury, while more severe cases can result in a recovery time of around six weeks.

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Arsenal face a busy run of fixtures after the international break, with four Premier League matches, two Champions League games and a Carabao Cup tie across three weeks.

If Arsenal has suffered a serious MCL injury, he would likely miss Premier League matches against Fulham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sunderland. There are also Champions League games against Atletico Madrid and Slavia Prague, as well as a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against Brighton.

Odegaard has also withdrawn from the Norway squad as a result of the injury against West Ham. Norway manager Stale Solbakken recently spoke about Odegaard's injury, as well as an update from the national team's doctor.

"We are of course sorry for this on our own behalf and on Martin's behalf," Solbakken recently said in a statement. "Fortunately, the clarification regarding this comes so early, gives us plenty of time to prepare those who will play the match on Saturday."

Ola Sand, Norway's national team doctor, added: "The injury means that he will not be ready to play for this training camp. We are in close contact with the medical support team at Arsenal, who will be responsible for the treatment going forward."