Arsenal Captain Martin Odegaard Sidelined: The Real Reason He's Missing the Wigan Clash
Arsenal approach Sunday's FA Cup fourth round match against League One bottom-dwellers Wigan Athletic missing their sidelined captain Martin Ødegaard.
The Norwegian leader has suffered an unfortunate season regarding fitness setbacks. Ødegaard was substituted due to injury in the opening half of three straight Premier League matches at the start of a troubled campaign. After recovering from shoulder and knee problems, the 27-year-old is now managing a contact injury he picked up during Thursday's 1–1 stalemate with Brentford.
The Gunners made significant investments last summer to ensure they would be less dramatically affected by their captain's absence—in previous seasons, Ødegaard's growing total of 14 matches missed due to injury would have been a devastating setback.
Mikel Arteta's team have managed to cope without their playmaker for the majority of occasions, but he is building a worrying relationship with the medical room.
Martin Ødegaard Offers Injury Update
Martin Ødegaard Offers Injury Update
In his pre-match programme comments for Sunday's encounter, Ødegaard described how he awoke with an aching knee following the midweek visit to Brentford. "I sustained a minor injury when they [Brentford] netted their goal, but hopefully it's nothing serious," he stated.
"I attempted to clear the ball as it dropped, but instead made contact with the player somewhat, and ended up extending my leg too far, which affected the knee. I managed to continue, but on Friday morning it was quite painful, I was concerned naturally."
Ødegaard, who had not been definitively ruled out at the time of writing, maintained that "fortunately it appears it's not too serious."
Considering the quality of opposition facing Arsenal at home this weekend, it's perhaps unsurprising that Arteta chose not to risk his valued captain. Whether he will be available for Wednesday's Premier League encounter with bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers remains uncertain, but there will undoubtedly be optimism that the skillful left-footer participates in some form during next Sunday's north London derby.
Arsenal Confirmed XI vs. Wigan
Arsenal Confirmed XI vs. Wigan
Arteta chose extensive rotation against Wigan. Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera provided Gabriel Magalhães and Jurriën Timber with some essential rest while Christian Nørgaard stepped in for the rested Martín Zubimendi. Eberechi Eze returned to his role as Ødegaard's replacement alongside the most intriguing selection decision: Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Arsenal's youth midfielder has been nearly entirely limited to left-back responsibilities during his professional career. Against the team currently sitting in the third tier's drop zone, Arteta gave Lewis-Skelly an extremely rare start in midfield while Declan Rice was listed among the substitutes.
Starting XI: Kepa Arrizabalaga; Ben White, William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera, Riccardo Calafiori; Myles Lewis-Skelly, Christian Nørgaard, Eberechi Eze; Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli.
Substitutes: Tommy Setford, Piero Hincapié, Gabriel Magalhães, Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyökeres, Leandro Trossard, Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Marli Salmon.