Mikel Arteta has perfect Arsenal solution as Martin Odegaard blow to prove blessing in disguise
Martin Odegaard’s injury issues should not be a big concern for Mikel Arteta with a highly-rated youngster waiting to take his deserved chance against Athletic Bilbao in midweek.
Arsenal tasted disappointment again last term as Mikel Arteta led his side to a second-placed finish in the Premier League for a third consecutive season.
Club captain Martin Odegaard was culpable as he struggled to reach his previous heights in North London after he had been named as the Gunners’ Player of the Season for both 2022/23 and 2023/24.
Arsenal fans began to doubt Odegaard as he registered just three goals and eight assists in 30 league appearances last term amid form and injury issues, and he has been similarly ineffective so far this season with no goal contributions and numerous poor performances in his four appearances up to now.
He had to go off early on last time out against Nottingham Forest due to injury, and an update on his availability has now emerged which should serve as a blessing in disguise for Arsenal as another playmaker waits in the wings for a Champions League chance.
Ethan Nwaneri in line to start vs Athletic Bilbao
Odegaard trudged off with a shoulder injury against Forest in the early stages of Sunday’s game, with youngster Ethan Nwaneri coming on as the Gunners then cruised to a 3-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta confirmed during a pre-match press conference on Monday (15 September) that Odegaard will not be fit for Arsenal’s Champions League clash against Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday (16 September) following his injury.
While he may have been a real miss in seasons gone by, this supposed blow for the Norway international should actually be looked at as a positive for Arsenal given his recent form and performances so far this term.
According to Fotmob, Odegaard has a pass accuracy of only 79.6% in the 2025-26 Premier League up to now, while he has created 0.54 chances and won 1.08 fouls per 90 minutes so far, which are poor stats for a player of his talent and supposed playmaking abilities.
Highly-rated youngster Nwaneri recently signed a new Arsenal contract amid rumours around his future in the summer window, and now feels like the perfect time for him to be handed a start in the Champions League after making just two substitute appearances in the first four games of the new campaign.
The 18-year-old is the future of the Gunners’ midfield and impressed in the competition last season with two goals in 222 minutes played across seven appearances, while he ranked highly for shots, shots on target, xG, xA, dribble success and tackles won per 90 minutes compared to other UCL players [Fotmob].
Sources told Football Insider in May that Nwaneri was putting serious pressure on Odegaard’s place in the starting XI, and the fact that the youngster now looks much more likely to be named in the starting eleven due to his injury could prove to be a massive boost for the Gunners in the Basque Country.
Odegaard should keep his captaincy even if he is replaced in the starting eleven
It is tough to foresee Odegaard spending too long out of the Arsenal team when he comes back from injury, but if Nwaneri or another player does shine while he is unfit, he may end up sitting on the bench a lot more than he will have initially have imagined.
Former Arsenal captain and club legend Tony Adams recently urged Arteta to strip Odegaard of his captaincy and hand Declan Rice the armband prior to the start of this campaign, insisting that the Gunners will not win the Premier League with him as their main on-field leader.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 198 | 41 | 38 |
While Odegaard has definitely struggled recently, switching the armband to the England midfielder would surely just make a smaller issue into a much greater one, when Arsenal need every player pulling in the same direction if they want to lift silverware this season.
Rice is already a vocal leader on the pitch, and so making him captain would not change that aspect of his game, while it would surely have a detrimental effect on Odegaard’s confidence and then possibly his form, so it feels like it would ill-advised by Arteta to make such a move.
He deserves to keep his armband, but does need to be given a challenge to get back into the Arsenal team when he is fully fit again, as his recent performances haven’t been good enough and the club need better if they are to be successful in 2025-26.