Norway may have to fear Arsenal becoming difficult to work with in future after Martin Odegaard’s injury on international duty this week.
That’s according to VG Sport and journalist Leif Welhaven who says the ‘battle for time’ could see Arsenal get more particular in future.
He explains that the images of Odegaard down injured this week will have been a ‘nightmare’ for Arsenal, who suddenly have to prepare to be without him for several very important matches.
That will have been extra frustrating for them given Norway’s clash against Austria was ‘more like a practice match with a fancy name’ compared to the Premier League and Champions League fixtures the Gunners have coming up.
While it’s important for the country, Arsenal will be questioning whether they should have released Odegaard at all now this is the outcome.
Indeed, Odegaard could have avoided injury this time if he was slightly less loyal to Norway. Arsenal could have even argued that a knock against Brighton and a minor issue in training was enough to leave him out.
Instead Odegaard travelled, was injured against Norway and now Arsenal are the ‘very biggest loser’ of the lot.
They won’t have been saying anything nice at the Emirates when it was announced the midfielder was returning on crutches. The ‘field of tension’ between clubs and nations is nothing new and Welhaven believes it will only increase in future with an increasingly packed schedule.
For now, the focus is on Odegaard and a crucial MRI that will determine his fate. He already risks missing the derby with Tottenham, a clash with Manchester City and a Champions League meeting with Atalanta.
Even Norway will be sweating his participation in the Nations League, although they can ‘hardly count on too much consideration from the Arsenal camp’ now, or perhaps in future, according to Welhaven.
