Martin Odegaard has hinted he is ahead of schedule and is making rapid progress in his attempts to recover from an ankle injury he suffered playing for Norway last month.
The Arsenal captain has missed his side’s last six games in all competitions and will again be absent for Saturday’s game against struggling Southampton.
Mikel Arteta has steadfastly refused to put a date on his main playmaker’s potential return and remained coy in Friday’s pre-match press conference when asked when his skipper may be back in contention.
He said: ‘Martin, it is very difficult. He is working so hard and pushing so it is difficult to give a timeline.’
With another international break on the horizon, however, Odegaard, writing his matchday programme notes, suggested he will be doing everything over the next fortnight to ensure he is back earlier than anticipated.
‘In the last week or so I’ve made really good progress,’ he confirmd. ‘I’m getting better & better by the day and feel it’s going well.
‘When you feel like things are moving forward, it gives you motivation to do more and more and work harder.
‘Today is our last game before another international break, so that gives me some more time to work on the rehab, too. Hopefully it won’t be much longer — I think we will know more as soon as I get out on the training pitches and we see how my ankle responds to that.
‘At the moment it’s progressing well and it looks better than we were thinking, but we’ve still got to take every day as it comes.
‘Anyway, it looks as though the team don’t really need me at the moment! We have been playing so well lately & got another good result on Tuesday against PSG.’
Despite Odegaard’s untimely absence, Arsenal have continued to thrive with the likes of Leandro Trossard making decisive contributions.
‘We had to be different,’ said Arteta when asked how his side have learned to cope without Odegarad. ‘The impact that Martin has in everything we do, it was too big to try to replicate it with one player.
‘We tried to do it in a different way, adapting a few things, and using players’ qualities, players that can play in the right position, with the right chemistry around them.
‘Maybe it took a game or two, but then it started to flow a bit better but we have found a way. But we still miss him because he’s one of the most important players for us.’
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