Norway manager Ståle Solbakken says he does not know whether midfielder Martin Ødegaard will be able to play on Thursday against Wales.
A nasty challenge from Portugal’s Bernardo Silva left the Arsenal captain limping during his last appearance for Norway and Ødegaard sat out training on Tuesday as a result of the injury. As it stands, the 27-year-old has not withdrawn from the group.
Arsenal fans are hoping that Ødegaard suffered no more than a knock, and while Solbakken did not appear particularly concerned before the match, he confessed a spell on the sidelines may ultimately be necessary.
“I wish I could say yes, but I can’t say that. I can’t say no either,” Solbakken said, when asked whether Ødegaard will play against Wales. “He will be tested a bit today. If he had been unavailable, he obviously wouldn’t have been here.”
Ødegaard was back on the grass on Wednesday but his involvement in Thursday’s Nations League clash is unclear.
Do Arsenal Need to Worry About Ødegaard Injury?
It was during the first international break of 2024 that Ødegaard suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of 12 matches for Arsenal. A handful of other fitness issues then plagued his 2025–26 season, but Ødegaard has been back to his best during the early weeks of the new campaign.
Arsenal fans will be nervously awaiting a final verdict on Ødegaard, keen to see their captain avoid the same sort of physical problems that took such a toll on him over the past two years.
The Gunners would likely have preferred to see Ødegaard withdraw from the Norway camp as a precaution, but the fact he is still with the group can be seen as a positive. As Solbakken says, Norway would not welcome him back to training if there was no chance he would be fit enough to play.
With Arsenal not back in action until Saturday’s early kickoff against Leeds United, Ødegaard has plenty of time to make a full recovery from an issue that, clearly, is not particularly severe.
Wary of taking any unnecessary risks, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta may even look to rest Ødegaard against Leeds with a view to protecting him for the Champions League visit from Lille three days later. There is also the daunting prospect of a trip to Bayern Munich to worry about later in October, which may see Arteta limit Ødegaard’s immediately following this international break.
