Express

If Mikel Arteta wasn’t a fan of international breaks before this week, he certainly won’t be now.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard hobbled off the pitch during Norway’s clash against Austria with a suspected ankle injury and his chances of featuring in this weekend's clash against Tottenham Hotspur hanging by a thread.

It has come at the worst possible time for Arteta, whose midfield is already down to the bare bones following a string of injuries and suspensions.

Declan Rice’s controversial sending-off against Brighton & Hove Albion means he’s been ruled out for this weekend’s north London derby, while summer arrival Mikel Merino is currently out of action with a shoulder problem.

It has left Arteta with a problem to solve and ahead of Sunday’s trip to Tottenham, Express Sport have hypothesised how the Spaniard might look to fix Arsenal’s issues in midfield.

Mikel Arteta turns to experience following injury crisis

Starting away at Tottenham with a midfield pivot of Jorginho and Thomas Partey wouldn’t have been Arteta’s preferred option, but in this situation, perhaps it’s a case of needs must.

While there aren’t too many alternative options to pick from anyway, Arteta’s best bet might be relying on the experience of Jorginho and Partey, who combined have played close to 1000 professional matches between them.

If Arsenal can build a sturdy base in midfield, with their first-choice backline standing firm behind, the title hopefuls should have enough firepower in attack to cut a shaky Spurs defence apart.

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Leonardo Trossard plugs the Martin Odegaard-shaped hole

In a roundabout way, maybe an injury to Arsenal’s star midfielder is all it needed to take for Leonardo Trossard to enjoy a regular run of games in the side.

Despite popping up with crucial goals for the Gunners, the Belgian has often come in and out of Arteta’s set-up, with the former midfielder seemingly favouring alternative options.

But with Odegaard’s injury looking like a serious one, Trossard could be given a run of games in the side, perhaps up top as a centre forward ahead of Kai Havertz just behind, or in the advanced midfield role himself. It wouldn’t be the first time the ex-Brighton man has played there.

New signing handed debut in the north London derby

If Raheem Sterling is made for one thing, it’s the big stage. A star man at both Liverpool and Manchester City (less said about his time at Stamford Bridge), Sterling has played in some of football’s biggest games, with there few bigger than the north London derby.

Given Sterling wasn’t involved in international duty, the winger has enjoyed a full week on the training ground with Arteta, who already knows what the 29-year-old can offer from their time at City together. It would represent bad news for Gabriel Martinelli though, who’s the most likely candidate to drop out of the team in his place.

And on the back of what’s been a pretty torrid summer for Sterling, it would be fitting for him to rock up on his Arsenal debut and contribute to a victory against his new side's hated rivals.

Arsenal have issued a statement following a PGMOL and Premier League ruling that's due to impact this weekend's north London derby with Tottenham Hotspur.

The clash comes at a nightmare time for boss Mikel Arteta, who is set to be without Mikel Merino (injured), Martin Odgeegard (injured) and Declan Rice (suspended) for Sunday's clash.

But as well as plenty of changes in midfield, Arsenal will also undergo another major switch ahead of the game, with the Gunners set to wear their away kit at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The white of Spurs coming up against the red of Arsenal has been a constant in this fixture for as long as most can remember, but that won't be the case this weekend.

It comes after the PGMOL and Premier League ruled Arsenal's home strip for the 2024/25 season contains too much white and therefore clashes with the kit Tottenham will be wearing.

On the ruling, a statement posted to Arsenal's website read: "That’s because both teams will be wearing their away strips in the fixtures this campaign, after the PGMOL and Premier League ruled that our 2024/25 home kit features too much white, thus clashing with Tottenham’s traditional colours, even with the option of red shorts and socks for us, which was also discussed.

"As a result, for the first time in recent ‘NLD’ history, we’ll be wearing our changed colours, with our black Adidas away kit being donned at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where we’ll aim to clinch a third-straight victory at the venue."

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This ruling will also impact Tottenham later on in the season when they visit the Emirates Stadium.

However, it's not yet known which alternative kit Spurs will wear, with the capital club boasting a sky blue away shirt and an emerald green third strip.

It won't be the first time Arsenal have worn their new black away kit in the Premier League though, with the Gunners having debuted it during last month's emphatic win away to Aston Villa.

Goals from Leonardo Trossard and Thomas Partey helped Arteta's men to a statement 2-0 victory that day, with the duo likely to feature in the north London derby this weekend.

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Partey, who has started all three Premier League matches this season, is all but certain to play if fit, given how light Arsenal are in midfield following Rice's red card and Merino and Odegaard's injuries.

But, some of Arteta's problems in that are could be solved by deploying Trossard as a striker, which would allow Kai Havertz to drop deeper and operate as an attacking midfielder.

The ex-Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen star has shown he's adept at doing that in the past, making it a viable option for the injury-ridden Premier League title hopefuls.

Danny Rose has opened on the culture inside the England camp when he was an international, claiming Tottenham players were mocked by team-mates for not earning enough.

The 34-year-old made 210 appearances for the club between 2007 and 2021. He also won 29 caps for the Three Lions, with his final appearance coming in 2019.

Despite playing in a Champions League final that year, Rose believed Spurs players were underpaid and had to endure taunts from their fellow countrymen when on international duty.

"England team-mates would laugh about how much Spurs paid us," Rose told In The Zone podcast. "When we would go away with England, the lads would laugh at us at what we're being paid. And I have one friend who was at another club.

"I remember one season where West Brom were fighting relegation while we were near the top, and some of their players were on more than what we were on. That wasn't right.

"With Spurs and win bonuses, you had to win by at least a couple of goals to get a bonus from it. At the time, I don't regret saying anything about it because it was the truth, but now I think the lads are being paid appropriately."

Rose signed a five-year deal worth £65,000-a-week in September 2016, but the following year he went public in an attempt to land another pay rise amid reported interest from Manchester United.

He told The Sun in 2017: "As with everyone else in my team, in my opinion, I am worth more than I am getting. In any walk of life, if you think you are worth a certain amount, why settle for less? I am not that person.

"If I get to levels I reached last season — and this goes out to everybody — I will make sure I get what I am worth."

He was fined two weeks' wages by the club for complaining about his renumeration, although it is fair to say his comments were supported by his Spurs team-mates at the time.

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Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is known to drive a hard bargain at the negotiating table as he maintains strict control over the wage bill, with only Harry Kane handed a deal beyond the club's normal structure.

Son Heung-min is the highest earner at the club with a £190,000-a-week salary, according to data from Spotrac. James Maddison is paid £170,000 a week, Cristian Romero and Timo Werner are on £165,000 a week, and Dejan Kulusevski the other only player to breach the six-figure mark with £110,000 a week.

Since leaving Tottenham in 2021, Rose played for Newcastle and Watford before becoming a free agent since 2022. He was spotted training with non-league side York City to boost his fitness last year and, while he hasn't closed the door on a return to professional football, he has recently undertaken punditry work for Sky Sports.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was spotted on crutches as he boarded a plane to London, where he will undergo scans to determine the severity of his suspected ankle injury.

The 25-year-old was in tears and had to be helped on the pitch in the 67th minute of Norway's Nations League match with Austria after a strong challenge by Christoph Baumgartner.

The playmaker's foot got stuck in the turf and he received treatment on the pitch before being substituted off, as Erling Haaland attempted to console his upset team-mate.

Norway boss Stale Solbakken explained that the injury "looked bad" which prompted fears over Odegaard's participation not only in Sunday's north London derby, but going forward for the Gunners.

And Norwegian outlet VG snapped a photo of Odegaard on crutches as he boarded a private plane back to England. He could be seen going backwards onto the jet, joined by his pregnant wife and their dog.

Odegaard will undergo an MRI scan to find out the extent of the damage, confirmed by Norway national team doctor Ola Sand.

Sand explained: “He is on his way to London and will have an MRI there later today." When asked for an initial prognosis, the doctor replied: “Nothing but a strong overstepping and that we await what Arsenal find.”

Odegaard potential injury comes at an unfortunate time for Mikel Arteta, who could head into Sunday's trip to Tottenham without his skipper, Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori.

Rice is suspended after his red card last time out against Brighton, while Merino has to wait to make his debut due to a shoulder injury sustained in his first Arsenal training session, causing him to miss the next few weeks.

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Similar to Odegaard, Calafiori also picked up an injury on international duty as a calf issue caused the defender to be sent home to London for further assessment.

If Odegaard is set for a spell on the sidelines, Arteta will be forced to shuffle his midfield ahead of three away games in the space of a week against Spurs, Atalanta and Manchester City.

Adrien Rabiot, who once brutally turned down a move to Tottenham, has now issued a come-and-get-me plea to the club. The Frenchman, 29, is currently a free agent after leaving Juventus in July, so is eligible for an immediate transfer despite the fact the window is closed.

According to TBR Football, Rabiot has offered his services to both Tottenham and Arsenal in an attempt to get himself out of limbo - having failed to secure a contract with a new club over the summer. He has received offers from teams in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, but it's believed he'd rather to sign for a club in one of Europe's top leagues.

However, the midfielder's wage demands could stand in the way of such a move. It's understood he's asking for around £220,000-a-week - £30k more per week than what Tottenham's highest earner, Son Heung-min, is making.

Ange Postecoglou's side had a busy summer. They not only shattered their transfer record by signing Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke for £65million, but they also spent an additional £71m on four highly promising youngsters. Annoyingly for Rabiot, two of those youngsters, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, are central midfielders, which likely means Spurs won't be too eager to sign another one, especially with Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma also in the squad.

Rabiot's eagerness to play for Spurs represents quite a turnaround after he deemed the club "below" his level when they tried to sign him in 2018. At the time, Rabiot was keen to leave Paris Saint Germain amidst issues with then-coach Thomas Tuchel, who would later take the reins at Chelsea.

The fact that elite European clubs like Barcelona and Juventus were vying for his services makes his nonchalance towards Spurs somewhat understandable. However, Spurs were on an upward trajectory back then, with Mauricio Pochettino establishing them as Premier League contenders and Champions League regulars.

A few months later they reached the Champions League final for the very first time, but it wasn't enough to lure Rabiot to north London. The France international ended up joined Juventus on a free transfer in the summer of 2019, with Tottenham landing Tanguy Ndombele instead.

In Italy, Rabiot swiftly became indispensable for Juventus, and soon after secured a regular spot in France manager Didier Deschamps' starting XI. He ended up playing 212 games for the Old Lady, scoring 22 goals.

Arsenal’s squad suddenly looks quite depleted ahead of the north London derby on Sunday after Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori joined the Gunners’ growing injury list.

Captain Odegaard was forced off the pitch with a suspected ankle injury during Norway’s Nations League match with Austria, with head coach Stale Solbakken explaining: "Martin Odegaard's injury looked bad in the dressing room as well."

Calafiori similarly had to be taken off during Italy’s clash with France after a painful calf injury, forcing him to return to England for treatment in the hope of competing against Tottenham.

Mikel Arteta has already been forced to go to battle without Declan Rice after his controversial red card against Brighton last time out, as Express Sport takes a look at how Arsenal could line up without three key players.

Arsenal’s predicted XI vs Tottenham (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Raya

David Raya played in both of Spain’s Nations League matches against Switerzland and Serbia, conceding just once in the two matches and coming through unscathed. Barring any surprise issues that arise, Arteta’s number one will continue between the posts and Neto remains on standby to make his debut.

Defence: White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber

Three-quarters of Arteta’s preferred back four are a staple and although William Saliba and Gabriel went away with France and Brazil respectively, the centre-back pairing and Ben White are certain to start away to Tottenham.

Calafiori’s injury has opened the door for Jurrien Timber and Oleksandr Zinchenko, with the Italian in a race against time to prove his fitness in order to go up against the likes of Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski or Wilson Odobert on that flank.

Given Arsenal face a challenging test away from home, Arteta is likely to prefer the defensive and tactical nous that Timber provides over Zinchenko’s ability on the ball.

The Ukrainian has a chance to step into midfield following the absences of Rice and Odegaard, but he has not played that role in some time in the Premier League and Arteta is likely to opt for others.

Midfield: Partey, Jorginho, Havertz

A much-changed Arsenal midfield could line up against Spurs if Odegaard is ruled out and forced to sit on the sidelines with the suspended Rice.

Jorginho came into the team on such occasions last season and could form a pivot with Thomas Partey, a slight change to the 4-3-3 shape that has seen Rice play further advanced than the Ghanaian.

Kai Havertz has thrived as a striker under Arteta but may have to return to a familiar midfield role in Odegaard’s absence, with 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri unlikely to be thrown straight into the deep end.

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Attack: Saka, Jesus, Trossard

Havertz would likely sit much higher up the pitch than Jorginho and Partey, in a potential second-striker role, off of Gabriel Jesus if the Brazilian can prove his fitness in time.

Arteta confirmed that Jesus would be available “pretty soon” before the international break, but Gabriel Martinelli could lead the line if he has not recovered in time.

Manchester United were interested in signing Tottenham defender Cristian Romero during the summer but Daniel Levy refused to entertain their advances, according to reports. The Red Devils ended up having a productive window, with Erik ten Hag welcoming several new faces to his squad.

Joshua Zirkzee was the first player to arrive, joining from Bologna in a deal worth around £36million. Leny Yoro followed him to Old Trafford from Lille before United completed the double signing of Bayern Munich duo Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.

Manuel Ugarte was the club's final signing of the window, arriving on deadline day from Paris Saint-Germain after weeks of protracted negotiations. He was snapped up for a fee of around £42m with potential add-ons taking the value of the deal up to £50m.

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United also tried to sign Romero but were knocked back in their pursuit of his signature by Tottenham chairman Levy, according to TyC Sports. It is said that Real Madrid and PSG also expressed an interest in Romero during the summer months but failed to get a deal done.

Levy was reportedly unwilling to consider selling Romero, given that he is viewed as an essential player in the Tottenham squad. As a result, the interested clubs were not even quoted an asking price, forcing them to switch their focus to other targets.

It remains to be seen if United will maintain their interest in Romero ahead of the January window, which will give them an opportunity to revive their pursuit. However, it seems unlikely that Tottenham will be prepared to do business in the middle of the season.

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The north Londoners paid £42m to sign Romero from Atalanta two years ago and have seen him transform into a brilliant defender in the eyes of Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou.

Speaking about the Argentina international last season, he said: "The way our defensive side of the game has come together, the one constant and the rock in that has been Romero.

"With the way he's taken on that responsibility of guiding those other guys around him so that they look assured, I think they feel security having him beside them. He's a big part of why we've done so well defensively and there's more to come from him.

"He wants to improve and he works hard every day. He's a winner, you can see that in him with the way he trains and the way he plays and that helps from a cultural perspective as well."

Harry Kane has been brutally honest in his reflection of Euro 2024 and admitted some England players did not play as well as they have done at previous tournaments. The Bayern Munich forward finished as joint-top scorer, netting three times.

Some fans were calling for Kane to be dropped from the starting XI because he began dropping very deep in search of the ball.

Frustration grew all tournament as England struggled to break down opposition that sat deep.

Kane was aware of the noise around his position and is striving to improve for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

“I am conscious of the summer and talk about myself physically. Perception is a big thing in football," Kane said. "As a nation and as media or pundits, we were trying to find a reason why we weren’t playing as well as we had played in other tournaments.

“Maybe my form in the tournament took the brunt of that. It was like: ‘Why is he not scoring goals?’ But in the tournament I felt good. Just as a team I felt we were not quite clicking.

“Quite a few of the lads, if we talk honestly, did not perform as well as we have done in other tournaments.

“At 31, I am in a good place both mentally and physically and some of the players ahead of me like Cristiano Ronaldo have helped prove to me I can be at this level for a long time.

“With Vincent Kompany now at Bayern and Lee Carsley here, the intensity has gone up and I feel like I have handled that very well and if anything that will make me fitter and sharper.”

Kane's menatality to never give up has been deeply rooted inside him ever since he was released from the Arsenal academy aged eight.

A few years later joined north London rivals Tottenham - but that was also not without a shaky spell.

“From when I was eight years old being released from Arsenal,” added Kane. “That might have built a bit of desire to prove them when I was that age. And even when I first came to Spurs, I was there from 11 years old and early on in my academy career I was close to being released…

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“I was never the guy that everyone thought was going to go on and do what I’ve done. I’ve always had to fight for my place, fight for the opportunity to show that I could play at the level I wanted to – in the Premier League at that time and England.

“It helps me to keep improving. Tom Brady in the NFL was a big inspiration of mine. I’ve spoken about him previously, his mentality. He is a prime example of this and he went on to become the greatest in his sport.

“But even when he was 42, 43 he was still having to prove people wrong and prove to himself that he was good enough. I think that until I stop playing I will always have that attitude.”

Dejan Kulusevski has weighed in on the ongoing row within the Sweden national team by branding the conflict as "unnecessary." The Tottenham Hotspur winger refused to pick sides after a bitter feud erupted between Sweden's manager Jon Dahl Tomasson and midfielder Hugo Larsson during the international break.

Larsson, 20, was an unused substitute during Sweden's 3-1 Nations League victory over Azerbaijan last Thursday. Tomasson publicly criticised the Eintracht Frankfurt youngster, demanding more progressive play from him, which led Larsson to express his discontent to the media, insisting that such feedback should have been given privately.

A crunch meeting with Swedish football bosses followed and Larsson was sent home from the squad in the lead up to Sweden's 3-0 triumph over Estonia on Sunday. While a minor injury cited as the official reason, German reports via Fotbollskanalen claim he was sent home due to the rift - something Tomasson denies.

Sweden’s dominant win, secured by Viktor Gyokeres' brace and an Alexander Isak goal, was overshadowed by the saga. Kulusevski, who wore the captain's armband for Sweden in the absence of Victor Lindelof, said: "Sometimes in the family there is a bit of a problem.

“You don't have to think the same thing all the time. The most important thing is that we are here to play football. It doesn't affect us negatively, it's just unnecessary but it happens and you just have to move on. I'm here if Hugo wants to talk."

Tomasson had remained tight-lipped before the Estonia fixture, saying that he wished to focus on the game alone and only put his energy into the players that were still present. He was more open post-match, saying: "Larsson is a young man, 20 years old, with a lot of emotions.

“We need to take care of him at that age. But we have 23 players in the squad, not all of them can play. Everyone deserves to play, but the team comes first." He insisted several times that Larsson is "a very good player" and explained that it was an injury that caused him to return home to Germany.

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Tomasson said: "No, of course not. He felt something on Thursday, and could continue, but in the small team game yesterday he felt something and talked to the doctors." He also mentioned that he would consider calling up Larsson for international fixtures down the line.

Despite Tomasson's attempts to play down the situation, comments from players like Kulusevski hinted at underlying tensions within the camp. Newcastle sensation Isak stated: "I don't want to throw more fuel to the fire. The association can handle that together with Hugo. It didn't affect me at all. I've been around for a while so I'm pretty comfortable with how things are handled. But it is clear that it may not be the most positive thing for such a young squad."

Meanwhile, talented youngster Yasin Ayari spoke up in defence of Larsson's character, insisting: "I know Hugo, he is a great person and a great friend of mine. I have great respect for him at the same time as I have great respect for Jon Dahl Tomasson. I just hope it works out in a good way."

When Kulusevski returns to north London this week, his focus will have turn to Spurs' next Premier League challenge – the derby at home to Arsenal on Sunday.

Villarreal CEO Fernando Roig Negueroles has questioned Filip Jorgensen's decision to join Chelsea and suggested the move could hinder his development. The Denmark under-21 international left Villarreal for the Blues in a deal worth around £20million this past July despite Chelsea seeming well-stocked on goalkeepers.

After establishing himself as Villarreal's first-choice goalkeeper, Jorgensen now finds himself competing with three other senior keepers at Stamford Bridge. He seems unlikely to displace Robert Sanchez as first choice stopper, though he'll rank above other reserves Marcus Bettinelli and Lucas Bergstrom.

In a recent interview with AS (via The Mirror), Roig admitted that while Villarreal knew they might have to sell Jorgensen eventually, they didn't expect it to happen so soon. And the sad truth is all parties could end up losing out if the player isn't afforded chances to impress in west London.

"The truth is that we didn't want to sell Alex [Sorloth] or Filip," said Roig. "It was clear to us that we had to make some sales, we didn't foresee those, but in the end it happened because both players were willing to leave and the offers were attractive enough to accept.

"We didn't expect to sell Jorgensen so soon, let alone this year. We knew about his enormous potential and we thought he would leave, but not now. Honestly, and I have made this clear to him and his entourage, I think Jorgensen rushed his decision.

"He had room for improvement and growth here, but his departure was his will. We did not intend to make that sale, but it has happened because he is a great goalkeeper for the present and the future and with qualities that can make him one of the most important goalkeepers in Europe. His departure doesn't hurt me though, football is like that."

Villarreal ended last season finishing eighth in La Liga with Jorgensen stood guard, narrowly missing out on European qualification. Chelsea are set to compete in this season's Europa Conference League, and it's there the Sweden-born goalkeeper should clock some significant minutes with his new side.

Last season saw Djordje Petrovic shine as Sanchez's stand-in during the latter's injury spell. Nonetheless, he's now been loaned out to French side Strasbourg, and Kepa Arrizabalaga is at Bournemouth on a year-long temporary move.