Latest Arsenal injury news as three miss Atalanta with worrying Martin Odegaard update

Arsenal news as Mikel Arteta provides the latest injury news ahead of Thursday night's Champions League clash with Atalanta

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has finally provided an update on the severity of Martin Odegaard's injury after the Gunners skipper missed Sunday's North London derby with over Tottenham.

Odegaard was left on crutches after Norway's Nations League clash with Austria last week, forcing him to sit out of the last Premier League game. Question marks over the extent of his injury had been unclear with slim hopes that he could be fit for Sunday's clash with Manchester City.

However, Arteta has stated that Odegaard faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after scans on his injury. The playmaker has sustained ligament damage and it's unclear how long he will be out for.

"After recent scans the scans showed that he’s got some damage especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle," he said. "It’s something quite significant so we’re going to lose him for a while."

He added: "He’s our captain. He’s been one of the biggest and best players in our team. Our identity is very linked to how he plays and behaves. It’s a big test for the team to see how able we are to show a different face."

Arteta went on to say he's hopeful that the midfielder isn't out for months. Furthermore, Riccardo Calafiori could return to action after training with the rest of the squad on Wednesday.

READ MORE: Calafiori first start, Havertz benched, Rice returns - Arsenal vs Atalanta line-ups

READ MORE: What Rice and Saka did, injury boost, unexplained absence – Things spotted in Arsenal training

One player who won't feature against Atalanta is Mikel Merino. The midfielder is yet to play for Arsenal after suffering a shoulder fracture in his first training session following his move from Real Sociedad.

Defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is also yet to feature this campaign after suffering another injury setback. "At the moment, it is difficult to say [when he will return]," he said.

"It's a bit slow the process of the first phase of that injury. It's probably for the medical team to say more than that. He's not done any training yet."

There was no mention of Bukayo Saka in Arteta's press conference. The forward was forced off in the 86th minute against Tottenham after receiving treatment by the club physio. Saka has been pictured in training so it's expected that he will start in Italy.

Join the football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel

Join our Arsenal WhatsApp channel and get all the latest breaking news, opinion, podcasts and in-depth stories from football.london's dedicated Arsenal writers straight to your phone!

By following this free service you will be the first to know the news from the Emirates Stadium as it happens, when it happens.

To join our dedicated Arsenal channel, all you have to do is click this link and you can join thousands of others following our Gunners coverage!

If you're curious, you can check out our privacy policy here.