Arsenal captain Odegaard sidelined for weeks in fresh injury blow

VIDEO SHOWS: ARSENAL PRESS CONFERENCE AND TRAINING SESSION RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT  SHOWS: LONDON COLNEY, ENGLAND, UK (OCTOBER 17, 2025) (NICHE MEDIA – Access all) 1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER, MIKEL ARTETA, TALKING ABOUT MARTIN ODEGAARD'S INJURY, SAYING:     "It will be weeks, no definite date for his return, but he's evolving well. Very unlucky what's happening with him and his injuries this season. But yeah, I think he will be back in a few weeks." 2. WHITE FLASH 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER, MIKEL ARTETA, TALKING ABOUT MARTIN ODEGAARD'S INJURY, SAYING:     "Martin is a capital player for us. He's very, very, very important for us. We haven't had him almost since the start of the season, like other players, unfortunately. But we are coping because we have a strength in the squad, because we have players with other qualities that are still performing really well, and that's what we have to do, but make sure that we have him back because we will be a better team." 4. WHITE FLASH 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER, MIKEL ARTETA, TALKING ABOUT VIKTOR GYOKERES, SAYING:     "But I mean he brings so much to the team and watching the games back, I'm very pleased with what he's giving to the team. I told him before the first meeting, I said the nine that I want is a nine that when he doesn't score for six or eight games he can handle that. If not, you have to go somewhere else, because the pressure is going, the expectation is going to be there. So you put the number nine shirt on for Arsenal, you have to be able to say, okay, six games, don't score, I'm a different player, I start to act in a different way. I want much more of the same of what he's doing and yeah, once we have those opportunities, put it in. I'm sure it's going to happen." 6. WHITE FLASH 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER, MIKEL ARTETA SAYING:     "I prefer to win every game and the only thing that we can do is to perform really well on Saturday and win the game. As you said, it's super early, it's not the moment to start looking at that. It's much more the moment now to look at performances, to look at ways that we can sustain certain things that we're doing and improve others, and that's the only way, and that increases the chances to win in matches when it comes to March and April to be in the best possible position." LONDON COLNEY, ENGLAND, UK (FILE – SEPTEMBER 30, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) 8. DEFENDER WILLIAM SALIBA & MIDFIELDER/CAPTAIN MARTIN ODEGAARD WALKING OUT 9. ARSENAL MANAGER MIKEL ARTETA & FIRST TEAM COACH GABRIEL HEINZE WALKING OUT FOR TRAINING 10. WINGER BUKAYO SAKA WALKING OUT  11. MIDFIELDER MIKEL MERINO WALKING OUT 12. WINGER LEANDRO TROSSARD & STRIKER VIKTOR GYOKERES WALKING OUT  13. SAKA WARMING UP AMONGST PLAYERS 14. ARTETA AMONG PLAYERS  15. PLAYERS’ LEGS & BOOTS DURING WARMING UP 16. EBERECHI EZE AMONG PLAYERS 17. MIDFIELDER DECLAN RICE WALKING / BEN WHITE PASSING BALL  18. VARIOUS OF ODEGAARD DURING RONDO DRILL  19. EZE CHASING BALL DURING RONDO DRILL  20. WINGER GABRIEL MARTINELLI CHASING BALL DURING RONDO DRILL 21. RONDO DRILL STORY: Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard will be out for a few weeks with a knee problem, manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday (October 17) as the Premier League leaders return from the international break with several key players dealing with injuries and lack of form.     Arsenal captain Odegaard, who was sidelined for two weeks last month due to a shoulder issue, is the club's fourth player currently out of action with a knee injury after Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke.     Arteta said Martin Zubimendi and Ben White, who missed training on Thursday, will be available for Saturday's match, while their Ecuador centre-back Piero Hincapie may return to the matchday squad after missing a month with a groin injury.     Arsenal, who have the best defensive record in the league with three goals conceded in seven matches, have the squad depth to cope with injuries but still need key players like Norway international Odegaard back in action, the coach added.     Arteta also emphasised the importance of their Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, who is the club's top scorer in the Premier League this season with three goals but has not netted in his last six appearances in all competitions.     Arsenal have 14 netted Premier League goals, one fewer than top scorers Manchester City, as Arteta's men sit on a one-point lead over champions Liverpool at the top of the table.     However, he said it was too early to start thinking about the title race. (Production: Andy Ragg)

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