“Like watching a horror movie” – Panic over ‘nightmare’ Arsenal injury at worst time

Norway remain hopeful Arsenal‘s Martin Ødegaard won’t be out for long after suffering an injury setback in their 1-0 Champions League win over Sporting.

The midfielder has struggled with multiple injuries this season, forcing him to miss 121 days and 23 matches for Arsenal.

He went off injured in Arsenal’s derby win over Tottenham Hotspur in February and spent over a month on the sidelines. This also forced him to miss the March international break with Norway.

Last month, Norway manager Ståle Solbakken said the 27-year-old made progress but wasn’t certain of his return date.

The former Real Madrid man returned to the pitch last weekend in the Gunners’ FA Cup defeat to Southampton and also started in their Champions League win over Sporting on Tuesday.

Why Norway worry about Arsenal injury

An injury saw Martin Ødegaard leave the pitch in the 70th minute against Sporting. Kai Havertz, who came on to replace him, went on to score the winner for Arsenal in the 90th minute.

TV2 in Norway analysed his performance and former Norwegian defender Jesper Mathisen was happy with his form.

“A solid and good half. The touch is there, but also what he does without the ball shows that he is well on his way back to a very good form,” he said.

“It is pleasant news for Arsenal in an extremely important end to the season. I think there are a number of people with Norwegian passports sitting there and smiling a little when they see Ødegaard’s legs moving the way they should.”

In the second half, the midfielder went down and received medical treatment. His injury situation is unclear and Mathisen insists he wouldn’t go down without a reason.

“Those are scary images. Like watching a horror movie. A nightmare. He’s not sitting down for no reason. It would have been a big loss for both Arsenal and Norway if he had to go out with an injury again,” Mathisen explained.

TV2 state Ødegaard was seen with his teammates after the match, celebrating Arsenal’s latest win.

Our take: Reaction from Norway not surprising

Martin Ødegaard has already picked up injuries on five different occasions this season.

His last appearance for the national team was in September. Former Norway international Kjetil Rekdal has concerns over his fitness and the ‘wear and tear’ impact.

Therefore, it’s no surprise the Arsenal player going down yesterday has caused concerns in Norway.

If he suffers a serious setback, his involvement at the World Cup would be in danger. Even if the midfielder were to miss few matches and still make himself available, he may lack rhythm ahead of the World Cup.