Mikel Arteta reveals when he expects Martin Odegaard to return from injury

There's optimism on the Martin Odegaard recovery front, with the skipper seemingly closing in on a return.

Arsenal have been without their captain since the September international break after he picked up an ankle ligament injury during Norway's UEFA Nations League victory over Austria. Odegaard avoided major damage, but initial reports suggested he'd be out of action until November.

And while a certain Arsenal 'ITK' opted to frighten the fanbase by suggesting a setback in recovery would keep the playmaker out until December, Mikel Arteta has hinted his captain will soon be back working his magic in N5.

Mikel Arteta reveals when he expects Martin Odegaard to return from injury

There were plenty of injury updates for the boss to provide ahead of Saturday's Premier League duel with Bournemouth. The latest surrounding Odegaard was lost amid positive news surrounding the statuses of Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, etc, ahead of their upcoming clash.

While Arteta confirmed that Odegaard will not be back in action this weekend, he described next week as a key point in his recovery - hinting that his captain's comeback might arrive sooner than expected.

"He is not going to be fit for this game [against Bournemouth]. Next week will be a different story. He needs to clear some markers. Next week will be crucial to understand how close he is," the boss said on Friday (via James Olley).

Arteta also revealed that he expects Odegaard to return before the November international break.

Arsenal have remained unbeaten in the absence of their captain, but there's no denying Odegaard's importance to the Gunners and many are excited about the prospect of an Odegaard-Rice-Merino midfield triumvirate. We've seen the boss adapt and adjust with Odegaard on the sidelines over the past month, and Leandro Trossard has ably mitigated the hefty void.

Odegaard will likely miss upcoming clashes with Shakhtar Donestk and Liverpool, but Arteta's positive update would suggest he may be in contention at the start of November. Arsenal face Newcastle, Inter, and Chelsea before the next break.

His presence in those duels would be handy, even if the Gunners have leaned on their physicality and found ways to win without him.

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