Why is Martin Ødegaard not playing for Arsenal against Atalanta today in the Champions League?

Arsenal’s Norwegian midfielder Martin Ødegaard will not play against Atalanta in their Champions League opener, as an injury will keep him out for the short term future.

Ødegaard suffered an injury when on international duty during the last break, news that was met with an incredibly angry reaction from Arsenal fans. The player returned to London for an MRI scan and missed out as his team won 1-0 win at Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday.

When Mikel Arteta was asked about the issue to his star creative midfielder, he did little to calm the worries of the fans, saying that his player had suffered a “quite significant” ankle liGament injury.

How long will Martin Ødegaard be out for?

Not only did the Arsenal manager call the injury “something quite significant”, he also explained that “we are going to lose him for a while. Hopefully not months.”

The physical issue means the 25-year-old, who has only missed five Premier League matches in the last three seasons, will not only be on the sidelines for the Game in Italy but also his side’s visit to Premier League leaders Manchester City on Sunday.

“He’s our captain,” Arteta said before admitting that “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.”

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On the Game against the Europa League champions, Arteta said he hoped his team had learned from last season before asking whether his side “can show that composure, but also that determination and that belief. Tomorrow we are going to be here and we know what we’re going to be facing and it’s going to be tough. Hopefully the team is ready and prepared.”

“If we want to be at the level that we want to be, we have to be really good on the road and at home. There is not a choice. So we have to continue to be consistent, get a result, especially with great performances that are going to get us results. In Europe, it is extremely tough like it is in the Premier League to win. Hopefully we can be more effective than we were last season because especially in this comPetition small margins define results and we have to be really good”, he concluded.