Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard is nearing a full recovery, though he is unlikely to be fit in time for Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Liverpool.
According to Norway’s national team coach, Stale Solbakken, Odegaard may be ready for Norway’s Nations League games next month. Norway will face Slovenia in Ljubljana on November 12 and host Kazakhstan three days later, and Solbakken is “hopeful” that the Gunners captain will be fit enough to join their squad.
Odegaard has been sidelined since early September after sustaining ankle ligament damage during Norway’s Nations League win over Austria. Solbakken shared with Norwegian newspaper *Verdens Gang*: “Everything suggests that Odegaard’s recovery is on track. Now it’s about those final steps, training with opponents, and full team sessions.”
“It depends on how he responds to it, but we’re hopeful,” he added. “I’ve been in regular contact with him, and now that things are progressing, it’s easier for him. Being injured is never fun, but he’s rarely been out, so it’s more of a training matter for him.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta indicated before last Saturday’s match against Bournemouth that he hoped Odegaard might return the following week. However, Odegaard did not appear in Tuesday’s Champions League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, and it remains unlikely he will feature in Sunday’s Premier League clash with Liverpool at the Emirates.
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