Arsenal star pulls out of international duty

Arsenal midfielder and skipper Martin Odegaard will miss his third international break of the season after he pulled out of Norway’s November Nations League matches due to what he tagged a need for rest.

Odegaard only returned to the Arsenal squad last week when he featured as a substitute in Arsenal’s 1-0 loss to Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League in Italy. He also played 90 minutes as Chelsea and Arsenal drew 1-1 on Sunday in the Premier League but these were his first two games since September when he injured his ankle ligaments.

Arsenal were without Odegaard for 12 matches after his injury in September, forcing him to make only five appearances in all competitions for the Gunners this season.

Although Odegaard was not part of Norway’s squad for matches against Slovenia and Kazakhstan on November 14 and November 17 days. However, he moved with the team to Oslo so as to get medical assessment.

The midfielder has revealed that the discussions with the medical staff at the national team, brought forth conclusions that his situation is not good enough to play these games.

“I’ve been through a long training period, and when you haven’t practiced football in the last nine weeks, it’s natural not to be 100% yet. I need to listen to my body, complete this rehab process, and get my foot back in good shape.” Odegaard said.

Even though they’ve been without their skipper, Norway has been able to sit at the top of their Nation’s League group with 7 points from four matches. The former Real Madrid player has been the captain of the Norwegian national team since 2021 and has played 61 matches for the country since making his debut.

On the other hand Arsenal haven’t fared well in the absence of their skipper as they sit in fourth position on the Premier League table.