Martin Odegaard in tears - with his girlfriend crying in the stands - as he limps off in agony for... (original) (raw)

Martin Odegaard in tears - with his girlfriend crying in the stands - as he limps off in agony for Norway, just six days before Arsenal's north London derby - and boss admits it looks 'bad'

Published: 16:41 EST, 9 September 2024 | Updated: 03:28 EST, 10 September 2024

Arsenal have been dealt a potentially cataclysmic blow just six days before their derby against Tottenham as Martin Odegaard was injured on Norway duty.

The playmaker suffered an ankle injury after a slide tackle from Christoph Baumgartner and was taken off 67 minutes into Norway's 2-1 Nations League win over Austria on Monday night.

He appeared to be in agony as he rolled on the floor and had to be aided by a physio on either side as he limped off, wincing in pain and fighting back tears.

Manchester City star Erling Haaland, who scored an 80th-minute winner, was among the team-mates to console Odegaard by patting him on the back as he hobbled away.

'Martin Odegaard’s injury looked bad in the dressing room,' said Norway head coach Stale Solbakken.

Martin Odegaard was taken off with an ankle injury on Norway duty in a blow for Arsenal

The midfielder appeared to be in agony after a slide tackle from Christoph Baumgartner

Erling Haaland was among the players to console Odegaard, who looked to be in tears

National team doctor Ola Sand told TV2: 'He got a small ankle sprain. We will see, maybe we use ultrasound to look at it.'

'If we are unsure, there will be an MRI tomorrow.'

Odegaard's girlfriend Helene Spilling was in the stands to witness the incident and appeared visibly distressed as medical staff helped the Arsenal midfielder limp off the field to be assessed fully.

The Gunners captain revealed he and Spilling, a dancer from Norway, are expecting a child in a post on social media a week ago, which was captioned: 'Can’t wait to meet you, our little baby.'

The Instagram post showed off Spilling's bump as the couple embraced for a photograph by the sea.

Depending on the severity of Odegaard's injury, it could leave Mikel Arteta with a huge midfield headache.

Declan Rice is suspended for the clash after his controversial red card against Brighton while £33million summer signing Mikel Merino is also injured.

Merino suffered a fractured shoulder in his first training session, meaning Arteta could be left with Thomas Partey and Jorginho to start in midfield against Spurs.

A wider injury crisis is taking shape for the Gunners, who are also bemoaning the freak injury of £42m man Riccardo Calafiori.

Odegaard's girlfriend Helene Spilling appeared visibly distressed by the Norwegian's injury

Dancer Spilling (above), 28, and Odegaard, 25, announced they are expecting a child in August

The left-back has left Italy's international camp after sustaining an ankle blow when Ousmane Dembele accidentally studded him after a challenge from Alessandro Bastoni.

Arsenal sit fourth in the table after two wins and a draw while Tottenham have four points after their three matches.

Beyond Spurs, they face a trip to Manchester City in the Premier League, host Atalanta in the Champions League, and encounter Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Cup.

After two seasons of coming up short to City in the league, an early-season injury emergency is the last thing Arteta needed.

'FFS he's completely rolled his ankle, that looked painful,' wrote one fan on X, formerly Twitter.

Mikel Arteta (above) faces a mountain issue after blows to Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori

Norway went on to win the match 2-1 but there were huge concerns for Odegaard

'Merino, Rice, now Odegaard. Centre mids gonna be Partey & Jorginho for the NLD,' another predicted.

'Our season might well be over,' another said. 'Merino, Rice, and now Odegaard. We are f****d.'

'We are finished,' said one.