Mikel Arteta confirms seriousness of Martin Odegaard injury as Arsenal return timeline emerges

Martin Odegaard is set for a long spell on the sidelines, with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta confirming his worst fears.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says Martin Odegaard faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after scans showed the extent of his ankle injury.

The Gunners captain has sustained ligament damage having picked up the issue while on international duty with Norway earlier this month. It is unclear how long exactly the playmaker will be out for but Arteta branded the setback as "significant".

He said: "After recent scans the scans showed that he’s got some damage especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle. It’s something quite significant so we’re going to lose him for a while."

Lamenting his absence, the manager added: "He’s our captain. He’s been one of the biggest and best players in our team. Our identity is very linked to how he plays and behaves. It’s a big test for the team to see how able we are to show a different face."

Odegaard - who was spotted on crutches after Norway's Nations League clash with Austria - is a vital player for Arsenal and his setback puts a huge dent in the club's silverware hopes this season. The news is made even more untimely amid Sunday's trip to Manchester City

The 25-year-old recorded 11 goals and assists apiece last season and passed 150 appearances for the club towards the end of the campaign. His absence compounds Arteta's midfield headache with new signing Mikel Merino still out with injury.

READ MORE: Mikel Arteta press conference pre-Atalanta

READ MORE: Mikel Arteta handed huge Arsenal injury boost ahead of Atalanta

The Euro 2024 winner, who arrived from Real Sociedad in the final week of the summer transfer window, suffered a shoulder injury in his maiden training session after being fallen on by Gabriel Magalhaes.

More positively, Declan Rice is back from suspension in time for Man City, having missed the North London Derby due to his red card against Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break. He would have been available for Thursday's Champions League opener with Atalanta regardless given domestic bans do not carry over into Europe.

Meanwhile, Arteta has Thomas Partey and Jorginho in his midfield ranks but is without an obvious replacement for Odegaard in attacking midfield, with Fabio Vieira loaned to Porto for the season. Leandro Trossard occupied the role against Tottenham having done so a handful of times during his career.

Kai Havertz is natural option at the No.10 but has been performing well as a false nine this season with two goals and an assist in his first four matches. After Atalanta and Man City, Arsenal face Bolton Wanderers in the League Cup, Leicester City in the Premier League and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.