The Real Reason Odegaard Is Sitting Out Arsenal's Clash Against Fulham

The encouraging return of Bukayo Saka to Arsenal's starting eleven for Saturday's clash with Fulham was tempered by the news that skipper Martin Ødegaard would not feature.

Ødegaard had only made his comeback from a knee injury in late April, featuring in the club's last three fixtures across all competitions, going the full 90 minutes in the opening two before being substituted just before the hour in the 1–1 stalemate with Atlético Madrid.

His labored exit from the pitch midweek raised immediate alarm bells, with his omission from Saturday's squad doing little to ease those worries.

Why Martin Ødegaard Is Not in Arsenal's Matchday Squad

"We'll see," was the characteristically guarded response from Mikel Arteta when pressed on Ødegaard's availability ahead of the match.

Reports indicate that knee soreness was the reason behind Ødegaard's early exit against Atlético, which raises serious concerns given that the Norwegian international had only just recovered from a knee issue that kept him sidelined for more than a month.

This marks the third knee-related setback of the campaign for Ødegaard, who also missed close to two months between October and November. Whether the injuries are connected has not been officially confirmed.

Overall, this represents the seventh injury of the season for Ødegaard, who has endured a torrid time with his fitness and has managed just 15 Premier League starts as a result.

As many as fifteen Arsenal players have accumulated more minutes than Ødegaard this season, among them Eberechi Eze, who slots into the starting lineup in his place for Saturday's fixture against Fulham.

Ødegaard: Arsenal on Cusp of Something Big

Ødegaard contributed an extensive interview to the matchday program for Saturday's game, giving no indication whatsoever that he might be unavailable to play.

Instead, the skipper turned his attention to the mood surrounding Arsenal as the side continues to push for major honors in the closing weeks of the season.

"Since the final whistle on Wednesday we've been looking ahead to today's match and focusing on how we can secure the three points," he wrote.

"The vibe at the training ground is brilliant right now. I think everyone can sense that we're on the verge of something truly special and that gives you a little extra motivation and drive in everything you do each day.

"We got a solid result last weekend in our previous home game here at Emirates Stadium against Newcastle. It was an intense and demanding match and the priority was always to take the win, which we did well. It's never easy facing Newcastle — they're a very physical and well-organized team. They clearly have quality too, so there will be spells where they control the ball, but I felt we handled it well to get over the line and claim another three points in an important game.

"At this point in the season it's great to be able to lean on our defensive record, so keeping another clean sheet was crucial. That's a major asset we possess — we know how solid we are at the back and a clean sheet always matters hugely in this league because it puts you in a strong position to win. That's exactly what happened last weekend.

"Of course we'd have liked to have added a few more goals, but the most important thing was to take the three points and we did just that."