Arteta can fix Odegaard’s blow by unleashing Arsenal’s ‘dirty magnet’

harm. Mikel Arsenal’s troubles in life. It was a catastrophe that threatened Arsenal’s very existence final 12 months.

It isn’t that absurd to counsel that with out them the Gunners would have crushed Liverpool to the title final season.

Arteta will not be one to make excuses when gamers are on the therapy desk, however the truth is that they have been with out Gabriel, Kai Havertz and primarily Bukayo Saka with main hamstring accidents.

Couple this with Martin Odegaard’s ankle issues a 12 months in the past, and for those who’ll excuse the joke, they have been significantly held again by what occurred subsequent.

Quick ahead to the present marketing campaign, and regardless of injecting practically £300m into the squad and including depth to Arteta’s ranks, they’re as soon as once more feeling the consequences.

Havertz has been out since August, William Saliba has additionally missed a number of video games and Saka has additionally endured minor issues of his personal. For sure, Saka’s substitute Noni Madueke can be out injured.

So when Odegaard limped off the sphere towards West Ham final weekend, a droning sound may very well be heard contained in the Emirates Stadium.

Martin Odegaard harm replace

This 12 months has been a very troubled one for the Arsenal captain. His situation probably hasn’t modified since he injured his ankle whereas taking part in for Norway throughout final season’s early worldwide break.

The difficulty pressured the captain out for a number of months, and even when he returned, there was a sense that the Arsenal midfielder wouldn’t be comfy. He did not belief his ankles sufficient to cleanly punch the ball when taking pictures. It additionally affected his playmaking capacity.

The numbers under show that truth. From 2023/24 to 2024/25, his base numbers have been a lot decrease than anticipated.

Due to this fact, it’s typical for Odegaard to undergo one other harm as quickly as he begins to regain his type.

Temporary glimpses of the previous Actual Madrid participant this season have proven promising indicators, as was the case towards Olympiakos within the Champions League.

The Norwegian put in an outstanding efficiency throughout Arsenal’s 2-0 win, offering the opening help for Gabriel Martinelli’s opener, then chopping by way of the protection to help Saka’s late assault.

It was classic Odegaard, however he was quickly injured once more, elevating considerations that this is able to be a Jack Wilshere scenario once more.

In actual fact, towards West Ham final weekend, he hobbled out for the third consecutive league recreation and made a little bit of historical past within the course of. Worryingly, he grew to become the primary participant in Premier League historical past to be substituted within the first half of three consecutive video games.

So what’s the issue? Now, he left Emirates Airways final week with a knee brace, however subsequent checks revealed he had suffered a medial collateral ligament harm. Consequently, he was absent from the match towards Norway throughout the suspension interval.

A timetable for his return has not but been introduced, and there are fears Odegaard can be out for a number of weeks.

How can Arsenal resolve Odegaard’s harm blow?

The most definitely resolution for Arsenal can be Eberechi Eze. The £67.5m summer time signing was broadly anticipated to play on the left.

In spite of everything, Arteta wanted upgrades within the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard and thought he would signal them right here.

Nonetheless, Eze’s preliminary efficiency on the left facet lacked some luster. They have been strong sufficient, but it surely was clear he was taking part in a job he wasn’t having fun with all that a lot. Regardless of taking part in extra centrally for Crystal Palace towards Bilbao within the Champions League, he made only one necessary cross, down from his common of 1.7 in 2024/25.

Eze has performed a central function in Arsenal’s final three video games. The distinction was noticeable.

We have been unfortunate to not rating towards Port Vale after which once more towards Newcastle, however Nick Pope did an incredible job of netting us twice. Towards West Ham, when Odegaard scored a objective, the supporters couldn’t see him line up for very lengthy and have been brutally robbed.

The England worldwide, who scored 14 targets and supplied 11 assists final season, is undoubtedly the favourite to switch Odegaard.

However with two video games within the jewel of a Hale finish, Arteta has two extra luxurious choices. Ethan Nwaneri, who performed recurrently in Odegaard’s function throughout pre-season, and Max Dauman, a recent.

Whereas Dauman is unlikely to be given a beginning function, it seems like a super alternative for the membership to provide the 15-year-old some taking part in time in a job that sees him future-proofed.

Thus far, the sensible teenager has solely featured on the right-wing at first-team degree, making a splash in pre-season when he gained a penalty towards Newcastle, earlier than taking part in 27 minutes in that function within the Premier League.

Dowman might not have featured a lot within the league but, however he has nonetheless made a huge effect, turning into the second-youngest participant within the division’s historical past and successful a penalty within the 5-0 win over Leeds.

As Mikel Merino commented earlier this 12 months, the teenager is already “unimaginable”. Fellow midfielder Declan Rice additionally waxed lyrical. “I’ve by no means seen a 15-year-old so comfy within the first workforce. It is unimaginable.”

What Dauman is doing is uncommon. Not even Nwaneri appeared on the scene like that. He was 15 years previous when he made his debut, however needed to wait just a few extra years to get common probabilities. This child already has it. Do you will have one other Lamine Yamal readily available?

It’s a must to mood your expectations and watch out right here. Merino’s subsequent remark was to remind everybody, “He is solely 15 so clearly he has lots to be taught.”

However what makes this younger star so particular? Sure, he has the flexibility to attain and help at will, scoring 19 factors in 23 video games and producing 5 targets final season. Nevertheless, his capacity to breeze previous gamers has already made him a goal for defenders.

Information analyst Ben Mattinson outlined how {the teenager} is already a “dangerous magnet”, and Arteta is aware of that.

Commenting on Doman’s improvement earlier this season, the Spaniard stated: “He is used to it (being kicked by defenders) so he is aware of that he’ll let the referee take care of it and his teammates will most likely defend me. I’ll maintain taking part in.”

So whereas the Hale Finish prodigy is unlikely to start out whereas Odegaard is injured, Arteta ought to use this as a possibility to provide the membership’s greatest academy expertise extra minutes.