Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard has suffered a serious ankle injury prior to the upcoming match against Tottenham, causing him to leave the field in tears…

Ahead of the clash with Tottenham, Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard experienced a significant ankle injury, resulting in the distraught player leaving the pitch in tears.

Arsenal faces another significant injury setback ahead of the North London derby, as captain Martin Odegaard suffered an ankle injury during Norway’s Nations League match against Austria.

The former Real Madrid player had already been nursing a minor injury from the 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion before joining the national team. However, he managed to play the full 90 minutes in Norway’s opening match against Kazakhstan.

Odegaard was expectedly positioned in the midfield for the match against Austria on Monday night, but his participation was cut short due to what seemed to be an ankle sprain in the second half.

The 25-year-old was involved in a challenge with Austrian striker Christoph Baumgartner when he rolled his left ankle, resulting in him being in considerable pain on the ground before medical personnel assisted him.

While Odegaard was able to bear some weight on the injured ankle, he showed clear signs of distress and required the support of two physiotherapists to exit the field as Kristian Thorstvedt completed the 2-1 victory.

Odegaard’s availability for the North London derby is now in serious doubt.

With just six days remaining until the North London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Arsenal’s key player is now a significant doubt for the match against the Lilywhites, leaving Gooners anxiously awaiting updates on his status.

While Odegaard and the club await an official assessment, even a Grade one sprain could require a recovery period of one to three weeks, drastically reducing his chances of participating this weekend.

Should the Norway captain have suffered a Grade two sprain, his recovery could extend from three to six weeks, while the most severe Grade three injuries may necessitate several months for full healing.

The fact that Odegaard managed to leave the pitch on his own, albeit with a limp, indicates that his injury may not be overly serious. Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta will likely need to devise a strategy for the derby without his captain.

What are Arteta’s next steps?

While some teams see their players return from the international break fit and eager to play, others find themselves lamenting the call-ups as team doctors are faced with more injured players to treat; Arsenal certainly falls into the latter category.

Odegaard is the second Arsenal player to encounter an issue during the September international break, following Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori, who sustained a calf injury in unusual circumstances against France and subsequently withdrew from the squad.

Although Arsenal has sufficient depth in defense to manage Calafiori’s potential absence, the situation is more challenging for Odegaard, as his backup from the previous two seasons, Fabio Vieira, was loaned back to Porto this summer.

With Declan Rice suspended due to a controversial red card against Brighton and Mikel Merino sidelined with a shoulder fracture, Arteta may find himself without the three midfielders he had planned to start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Thomas Partey has effectively timed his return to fitness, positioning himself as a key figure in the midfield for Sunday’s match.

Additionally, if Odegaard is unable to play, Jorginho is likely to rejoin the squad. Arteta has shown considerable hesitation in deploying Oleksandr Zinchenko as a traditional midfielder.

In the event that Odegaard is unavailable, Kai Havertz emerges as the most logical option to step into the advanced midfield role.

However, this decision depends on whether Gabriel Jesus can recover from his groin injury in time to lead the attack, or if one of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, or Raheem Sterling will need to take on that responsibility.