Arsenal wait on fresh injury worry suffered in Brentford draw as Mikel Arteta handed new concern

The Arsenal captain returned from injury against Brentford but could now be facing another spell on the sidelines

Arsenal have been handed a fresh injury concern after Martin Odegaard was seen limping heavily through the mixed zone following Thursday night’s 1-1 draw with Brentford. The Norwegian had only just returned to the Gunners’ starting XI after missing the 3-0 win over Sunderland last weekend with a muscle issue.

The Arsenal captain appeared to be in significant discomfort in the second half after trying to prevent Keane Lewis-Potter from scoring the game’s equaliser.

Arsenal’s staff will now be braced for a potential blow. With several players already sidelined, Mikel Arteta will be hoping his captain is not set for another spell out.

Kai Havertz, Mikel Merino and Max Dowman remain unavailable through injury, while William Saliba missed the Brentford match due to illness.

“This morning Wilo [Saliba] wasn’t feeling good so he’s ill, and he’s at home,” Arteta said before the match. “Just short-term.”

“After the game that we played against Sunderland, Kai felt a little niggle, so we need to wait and see how long he is going to be out for.”

Odegaard, meanwhile, caught the eye of Brentford manager Keith Andrews with an impressive cameo.

“Odegaard is a very good presser, when he releases from No 10 out to centre-backs he times it really well and the angle he goes is very effective,” he said.

“He’s very good at it. “They do it in different ways when he doesn’t play. “I always expected a reaction [when Odegaard came on].”

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The draw at Brentford, combined with Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Fulham, has seen Pep Guardiola’s side close the gap to four points as the Premier League title race intensifies.

After Arsenal’s FA Cup clash with League One side Wigan Athletic on Sunday, they face back‑to‑back away games at Wolves and Tottenham in the north London derby.

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