Arsenal star Martin Odegaard has reportedly missed two Gunners fixtures due to a concussion, it has been claimed. The club captain was absent for top-flight matches against Newcastle and Burnley, and the Champions League victory over Sevilla last week.
Mikel Arteta was coy over the reason behind Odegaard’s absence. However, it has now emerged that the 24-year-old reportedly took a ball to the face during a training ground incident.
Odegaard was taking part in a training session when he was smacked in the face by a ball. The blow was heavy enough for the midfielder to be checked out for a concussion by club medics, the Daily Mail reports.
The incident happened prior to Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Newcastle last weekend. Arteta immediately withdrew the former Real Madrid star from his starting 11.
Premier League rules state that a player suspected to have suffered a concussion must rest for six days and should be symptom-free before they return to action. Odegaard subsequently missed Arsenal’s European victory over Sevilla, which put Arteta’s side within touching distance of the knockout rounds.
It is not clear if Odegaard missed Saturday’s win over Burnley due to the concussion or if it was linked to an ongoing hip injury that the Norwegian has been troubled by in recent weeks. He remained an unused substitute for the 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield United October 28 due to the hip problem.
The report claims that Odegaard will remain in England for the next fortnight and will subsequently be absent for Norway’s fixtures against Faroe Islands and Scotland due to the hip problem, rather than the concussion.
If Odegaard missed Saturday’s Premier League victory over Burnley due to the concussion, it would have meant that he had failed the test to be symptom-free six days after the incident.
Arsenal have not fared too badly without their star midfielder over the last few weeks. They defeated Sheffield United before he was back in the team for a Carabao Cup defeat by West Ham.
The concussion kept him out of the 1-0 reverse against Newcastle and the 2-0 victory over Sevilla. He remained absent for Saturday’s victory over Burnley.
That win leaves Arsenal third heading into the November international break. Odegaard will reportedly be fit when domestic football returns later this month.
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