Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard will be out “for a while” after suffering a significant ankle injury while playing for Norway last week, manager Mikel Arteta said on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old limped off during his country's Nations League defeat by Austria in Oslo on September 9 and returned to London on crutches.
Ødegaard missed Sunday's north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur and Arteta provided an update ahead of Arsenal's Champions League opener against Atalanta in Bergamo on Thursday.
“The scans show that he has some damage especially in one of the ankle ligaments,” said the Spaniard.
“It's a pretty significant thing, so we're going to miss it for a while.”
Arteta, whose side are second in the league and two points behind Manchester City, said he hoped it would not be months, “but we'll see.”
Ødegaard has become a key player for Arsenal, missing just a handful of games in the last three seasons, and a prolonged absence will be a huge blow.
“He's our captain. He's been one of the most important and best players in our team,” Arteta continued.
“Our identity is very much tied to how we play and behave. It's a great test for the team to see to what extent we are able to show a different face.”
Norway coach Stale Solbakken told VG newspaper he was fully informed about the injury and was “preparing for a life without Martin”.
“We have to move forward week by week and day by day. Some types of damage occur more quickly and others more slowly,” he said.
