Where is Martin Odegaard?!
Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard was a notable absentee from the squad for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea, raising concerns among supporters at the Emirates Stadium.
Eberechi Eze was handed the No.10 role in Ødegaard’s place, with the Norwegian not even named among the substitutes. Prior to kick-off, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta confirmed that the midfielder had suffered a late injury setback.
Ødegaard had been expected to feature after making a strong impact off the bench in Saturday’s win over Leeds United. Introduced in the second half, he helped control the tempo and provided an assist, appearing to put himself firmly in contention to start against Chelsea. His absence from the matchday squad therefore came as a surprise.
Arteta later explained that the midfielder had picked up a knock ahead of the game, ruling him out of the second leg at short notice.
Ødegaard’s injury adds to Arsenal’s growing list of concerns, with Bukayo Saka also sidelined for the clash. The winger had already missed the Leeds match and is expected to be out for around three weeks, meaning he will also miss upcoming Premier League fixtures against Sunderland and Brentford, as well as the FA Cup tie with Wigan Athletic. Saka is targeting a return for the north London derby against Tottenham on 22 February.
Providing an update on Saka’s condition, Arteta said further tests were required to determine the extent of the issue, adding that the Chelsea match came too soon but expressing hope that the absence would not be prolonged.
With key players unavailable at a crucial stage of the season, Arsenal will be monitoring both situations closely as they look to manage their squad through a demanding run of fixtures.
