UCL: Martin Odegaard Sparks Worrying Arsenal Injury Concern Ahead Of Athletic Club Clash

Written By Albert Echatah

With an important Premier League game coming up, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will try to find a balance in their Champions League meeting away to Athletic Club.

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With a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, Arteta’s team increased their chances of winning the crown before the European tournament in the middle of the week. The most impressive player was summer recruit Martin Zubimendi, who scored twice in the first half, including a beautiful volley from the edge of the box.

The Gunners’ lead was increased by a goal from Viktor Gyokeres just after halftime, and Zubimendi completed the victory at home with a strong header to make it 3-0. Even if the Gunners recovered admirably from their away loss to champions Liverpool prior to the international break, things did not go as planned on Saturday.

Ahead of a crucial week for the Gunners, here is the most recent news from the Emirates.

Martín Odegaard Update

According to the Mirror, Martin Odegaard, the captain of Arsenal, had to leave the pitch early in the first half against Forest because of a persistent shoulder problem.

Zubimendi’s recent performances demonstrate that they have plenty of midfield depth, although Arteta is probably worried about his captain’s health before their Champions League match. Declan Rice, a midfield mainstay, was brought on as a substitute during the Forest game and was probably kept for the Champions League opener.

It was only the second occasion in 2025 that he started a game on the bench. Odegaard doesn’t seem to be able to play on Tuesday, therefore Arteta might use Zubimendi to cover for the Norwegian along with Declan Rice and Mikel Merino.

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Defensive Update

After overcoming an injury, defender Ben White made his matchday comeback on Saturday, joining new loanee Piero Hincapie on the bench. Following the Frenchman’s ankle injury, Cristhian Mosquera took William Saliba’s spot in defence and has since shown promise.

Although the Premier League match on Saturday came too soon, Saliba’s return to training on Friday may be sooner than anticipated. Before the Forest match, Arteta discussed Saliba and White’s fitness and disclosed: “Willy trained today, so we’ll have a decision to make whether we play him or not, very good news.” Ben White and the others [trained] as normal; Ben is doing OK.”

Saka, Havertz and Jesus Update

Arsenal will still be without Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Bukayo Saka on Tuesday night, thus Arteta will have to rely on a few less seasoned players to spearhead the assault in the European tournament.

With Arteta possibly concerned about overworking Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, there is a slim chance that 15-year-old Max Dowman will break yet another record by becoming the youngest Champions League participant in history.

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