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Martin Odegaard injury update after limping away from Brentford game | Football
Martin Odegaard has revealed he is in for anxious few days before he can determine the extent of the knee injury he suffered against Brentford.
The Arsenal skipper had missed the wins over Chelsea, in the Carabao Cup, and Sunderland but made his return as a second half substitute at the Gtech Stadium.
Odegaard, who replaced the struggling Eberechi Eze at the interval, turned the game in Arsenal’s favour and the league leaders looked to be on the way to a vital three points before being pegged back by Keane Lewis-Potter’s equaliser.
The Norway international was hurt attempting to block the Brentford forward from getting to the ball first and although he was able to complete the game, Odegaard looked far from comfortable and was seen limping through the mixed zone after the game.
Mikel Arteta’s side are back in action this afternoon against Wigan in the FA Cup and look certain to be without their skipper.
With Mikel Merino out the season, Ethan Nwaneri on loan and the aforementioned Eze in the doldrums, Arsenal can ill-afford to be without Odegaard for any length of time.
Wrting in Sunday’s matchday programme,Odegaard clarified the situation and said: ‘I picked up a bit of an injury when they (Brentford) scored their goal, but hopefully it’s not too bad.
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‘We’ll see how it goes in the build-up to today’s game and over the next few days.
‘I tried to clear the ball as it came down, but instead kicked into the player a bit, and ended up over-stretching my leg, which pinched the knee.
‘I was able to carry on, but on Friday morning it was very sore, so I was worried of course, but thankfully it looks like it’s not too bad.’
Despite their recent wobble in the Premier League, where they have won just two of their last six games, Arsenal are still challenging on four fronts this season and a plumb FA Cup home tie against League One opposition could represent the chance to rebuild some confidence.
Odegaard said: ‘Today it’s a change of focus in the FA Cup, which is a big target for us.
‘This group of players hasn’t had a run in this competition, and it’s definitely something we want to do.
‘We know we can do better in this competition.
‘In recent years, we’ve gone out quite early, so that’s something we want to make better and it’s another competition we want to go all the way in.’
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