How long will Martin Odegaard be out for? Details of injury suffered by Arsenal captain revealed as Gunners deliver fitness update on club captain

Odegaard has made unwanted history in the English top-flight by becoming the first man to be subbed off before half-time in three successive starts. Mikel Arteta also had to haul his skipper off early in meetings with Leeds and Nottingham Forest. A shoulder issue was causing problems at that stage, with it proving difficult to make a full recovery.

With one issue seemingly clear, another has been picked up. Odegaard was replaced with half-an-hour on the clock against the Hammers. He had tried to play through obvious discomfort, but was ultimately forced to accept that he was in no position to continue. It remains to be seen how long he is sidelined for.

It has been confirmed that Odegaard will not be linking up with Norway for their 2026 World Cup qualifier against Israel and a friendly date with New Zealand. He will remain at Emirates Stadium for treatment, with Arsenal yet to speculate on when their skipper could be called upon again.

A statement on the Gunners’ official website read: “Martin Odegaard has been withdrawn from the Norway national team for their upcoming matches against Israel and New Zealand after sustaining a medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee during the first half in Saturday’s win over West Ham United. Martin will continue to be assessed and treated by our medical team at Sobha Realty Training Centre during the international window, with the aim of a return to action as soon as possible.”

Arteta admitted after a 2-0 win over West Ham that the outlook appeared bleak for his captain, with the Arsenal manager telling reporters when asked for an update on Odegaard: “I just spoke to him. He's not positive about it. He's got a brace on. We'll have to wait and see from the doctors, but we haven't been very lucky with that either.

“We haven't had him since the start of the season for one reason or the other. The shoulder twice and then this injury. We'll have to wait and see the extent of that injury, and we'll find solutions, but obviously he's our captain and is a player that gives us a completely different dimension with the things that he can do, especially in attacking.”

Arsenal also had to replace Declan Rice against the Hammers, after seeing him score against his former club. Arteta was slightly more optimistic when it came to the England international, saying: “He’s not alright because he asked me to come off, so that’s a shame. He had pain in his back and he could not carry on, which is something very unusual for Declan, so we’ll have to assess him and see how he is.”

Rice is still expected to link up with the Three Lions ahead of their friendly date with Wales and a World Cup qualifying clash with Latvia. A decision will be made in that camp regarding how many minutes he sees. Arsenal will be eager to ensure that no unnecessary risks are taken on another key component of their midfield. Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino were introduced in place of Odegaard and Rice against the Hammers.

Arsenal have, as a result of Liverpool’s uncharacteristic struggles, moved to the top of the Premier League table - one point clear of the reigning champions after seven matches. They will hope to be at something close to full strength when returning to action after the international break with a short trip to London neighbours Fulham on October 18.