Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said Martin Ødegaard's ankle injury will keep him out until after the October international break.
Ødegaard suffered the problem on 9 September during Norway’s UEFA Nations League win against Austria, with national team doctor Ola Sand subsequently ruling the midfielder out for three weeks. However, Arteta has been far more cautious in his assessment of Ødegaard’s availability until speaking on Tuesday ahead of the Carabao Cup third-round clash against Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium.
“I think it will be a matter of weeks,” Arteta said of how long Ødegaard will be out. “How long exactly, I can't say. We might be in for a surprise, but I think it's unlikely.” [he returns before the international break].”
That would mean Arsenal would be without their captain for games against Bolton, Leicester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Southampton. Their first game after the international break is at Bournemouth on October 19.
Ben White is also dealing with an unspecified fitness issue, while Arteta has confirmed Oleksandr Zinchenko is out. [calf] will be out for “a few weeks.” Mikel Merino will also be unavailable after fracturing his shoulder, as will Takehiro Tomiyasu, who is injured with a knee.
Gabriel Martinelli, Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and David Raya are all doubtful for the Bolton clash and with back-up goalkeeper Neto out of action in the Cup, Arsenal may have to turn to 16-year-old Jack Porter to start on Wednesday night.
“Let's see how they are today and we'll try to make a decision on that, if we think it's a possibility,” Arteta said.
Asked if he would rotate heavily with 10 substitutions similar to other top teams in the competition, Arteta said: “At the moment we can't because we don't have 10 other players available.”
