Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta Keeps Options Open for Odegaard Ahead of North London Derby
In an unexpected turn of events, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has not ruled out the possibility of Martin Odegaard participating in this Sunday’s North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. This follows Odegaard’s recent ankle injury sustained while playing for Norway during the international break, which was initially expected to sideline him for approximately three weeks.
Arteta, facing challenges with players such as Declan Rice (suspension) and Mikel Merino (injury) already unavailable, remains optimistic about Odegaard’s potential involvement in the crucial match against Spurs. “We need some more tests. Let’s see what happens in the next day or so… Martin wants to be here every day but we have to wait and see,” Arteta stated. He emphasized the importance of assessing the extent of the injury before making any decisions, adding, “Players with 48 hours are always available.”
Additionally, Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus, who has been recovering from a groin injury, is expected to return for training ahead of the match, contingent on a successful assessment during practice sessions. Meanwhile, new signing Riccardo Calafiori’s availability will be evaluated over the weekend.
On the Tottenham side, Micky van de Ven is set to make his comeback, while Dominic Solanke is also in contention to rejoin the squad after missed matches prior to the international break. Spurs’ boss Ange Postecoglou confirmed, “Micky’s good, he’s trained all the way through the international break,” indicating a positive outlook leading into the derby.
However, Tottenham might face a late fitness test on Yves Bissouma, who picked up an issue during international duty with Mali.
The Premier League has mandated that Arsenal wear their away kit during their upcoming clash at Tottenham due to a kit clash with the Spurs. Traditionally recognized for their red and white home kit, Arsenal will don their black away shirt for this highly anticipated fixture. The decision is based on the current home strip’s color scheme which includes too much white, conflicting with Tottenham’s traditional colors.
This exciting North London derby kicks off at 2:00 PM on Sunday, September 15, and will be a telling moment for both teams early in the season as Arsenal looks to assert dominance in the league.
