Martin Odegaard injury latest — Arsenal captain leaves match with shoulder injury

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard could not make it to halftime of the Gunners’ Saturday visit from Leeds United as an early-match injury became too much.

Odegaard, 26, suffered an apparent shoulder injury on a foul that led to a free kick after 15 minutes.

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He played on but went down again, this time drawing trainers onto the field around the half-hour mark.

Arsenal had broken through for a 1-0 lead over Leeds through Jurrien Timber when the captain was removed from the match.

Ethan Nwaneri took the midfielder’s place in the 38th minute, halftime a bridge too far for his discomfort.

Martin Odegaard injury latest — Arsenal captain leaves match with shoulder injury

Odegaard is no soft player. especially for a playmaker, so it’s alarming whenever he’s not fit to continue with a match.

But Arsenal were in full control of the match even if the lead was just 1-0, and there will be hope that boss Mikel Arteta simply deemed the question one of unnecessary risk. If so, it was astute and/or prescient; Arsenal led 2-0 by halftime.

Odegaard played in 45 games last season and his Premier League total of 30 in the 2024-25 campaign was preceded by 35, 37, and 36 the previous three seasons.

The 65-times capped Norwegian midfielder will not miss time if it’s unnecessary but this is the time of the season to allow for rest and recovery. We’ll see if Arteta’s postgame words prod more concern out of us.