BREAKING NEWS: Arsenal provide new injury return date for Martin Ødegaard, Hincanpie, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz – as recent test shows that the player will be back sooner than expected to compete for the league title
Arsenal may have secured a routine win over West Ham United on Sunday, but they now head into the October international break with fresh injury concerns after both Martin Ødegaard and Declan Rice appeared to pick up problems during the 2-0 win over their cross-capital rivals.
Ødegaard set an unwanted record as he became the first Premier League player to be substituted in the first half in three consecutive matches when he sustained another injury and was pictured in a protective boot after the game at the Emirates, while Rice appeared to hurt his back and came off before coming off with 11 minutes left in the game.
We’ve got all the latest updates on Ødegaard, Rice and the rest of Arsenal’s stricken players heading into the break below, along with their expected return dates when available.
How long will Martin Ødegaard be out with injury?
While it was a persistent shoulder injury that forced Ødegaard to be withdrawn from games earlier in the season, it’s an entirely separate knee injury that’s the problem now – with Arsenal confirming in a club statement that the Norwegian midfielder had suffered a medical collateral ligament (MCL) injury during a collision with winger Crysencio Summerville.
The club haven’t yet confirmed the severity of the issue, but Arteta told reporters after the game that Ødegaard was “not positive about it,” adding that “we’ll have to wait and see the extent of that injury.” Tests are expected to take place early this week as the club’s doctors work to determine the extent of the damage.
Players can return from minor MCL sprains within two to three weeks but initial fears are that the problem is more serious than that. In the worst case scenario, a torn MCL could sideline Arsenal’s captain for several months. Further updates are awaited and a timeline is not yet available, but Ødegaard has withdrawn from Norway’s international squad for the coming games against Israel and New Zealand.
Declan Rice becomes another Arsenal injury worry
Another concern will be the fitness of midfielder Rice, who scored the opening goal against West Ham but who was taken off during the second half after appearing to hurt his lower back. The good news is that initial reports suggest that the 26-year-old has avoided serious injury and is currently expected to report for England duty early this week. Pending further updates, there are no immediate indications that he will miss any time for his club.
Elsewhere, Arsenal have four other players working their way back from fitness issues, with summer signing Piero Hincapié the closest to making a comeback. The Ecuadorian international is carrying a groin injury and Arteta told reporters that the West Ham game “came too fast” for him – but the defender is expected to be available after the international break. He will not travel to play for his country over the coming week but could face Fulham on 18 October.
Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz (both knee), meanwhile, are expected to be back in action towards the end of November while striker Gabriel Jesus (ACL) won’t return until late December at the earliest.
