Mikel Arteta has shared an update on the fitness of Martin Odegaard ahead of Arsenal's clash with Tottenham on Sunday afternoon.
The Gunners travel across the city to take on their fierce rivals in the first North London Derby of the season, having dropped points for the first time in the current campaign last time out with a draw at home to Brighton.
But Arteta, fresh off signing a new long-term deal at the Emirates, has a selection headache in midfield heading into the game and has shared an update on the fitness of his captain for Sunday's crunch Premier League clash.
Odegaard All But Ruled Out of Spurs Clash
Skipper suffered an ankle injury with Norway
While featuring for Norway against Austria on Monday, playmaker Odegaard picked up a nasty looking ankle injury and was forced to come off during the second half of the game.
He was pictured on crutches while boarding a plane back to London the following day, and reports have since stated that he could be set to miss several weeks of action as a result. However, while Arteta refused to confirm how long he will be out for, the Spaniard confirmed the playmaker would undergo more tests before a decision is made on his availability.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta said:
"We need more tests, let’s see what happens in the next day or so and see how quickly we can get him back. We have to wait and see. He’s willing and he wants to be present in every game. We need to make sure we know first how good he is or not."
In addition to Odegaard's likely absence, Arsenal will be without the suspended Declan Rice after his controversial red card against Brighton while summer signing Mikel Merino broke his arm in his first training session and is set for several weeks on the sidelines before he can make his debut.
The Gunners have a trip to Italy to take on Atalanta in their opening Champions League fixture in midweek, before a trip to Premier League champions Manchester City next weekend in another huge clash.
Leandro Trossard Could Replace Odegaard
Arteta looking for solutions to solve his crisis
With several midfielders unavailable, Arteta has some decisions to make on who starts in the heart of the pitch.
Jorginho and Thomas Partey are the experienced and natural replacements to come in for Merino and Rice, but to add a more creative arm to the side GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed that the manager is considering giving Leandro Trossard a new role in midfield.
The Belgian winger has shown his versatility since joining the club from Brighton, playing out wide and as a central striker on occasion too, but he could now drop deeper to help fill a gap as Arteta doesn't want to throw youngster Ethan Nwaneri in at the deep end for his top-flight debut.
With Trossard moving deeper, it would open the door for Raheem Sterling to potentially make his debut out wide after joining on loan from Chelsea while Gabriel Martinelli is also pushing to get back in the team on the left wing.