Martin Odegaard: How Arsenal Captain Set an Unwanted Record Amid Early Season Injury Woes

The Gunners face an early-season setback as captain Martin Odegaard suffers recurring injuries, setting an unwanted record of three early substitutions.

Just four days after a phenomenal performance in the Champions League against Olympiakos things have taken another worrying turn for Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard. 

The Norwegian midfielder, who dazzled in midweek with a creative masterclass, endured a much more frustrating afternoon at the London Stadium on Saturday.

Odegaard had to be substituted after just 30 minutes of Arsenal’s 2-0 win over West Ham, making unwanted Premier League history in the process. The 26-year-old became the first player ever to be withdrawn before half-time in three consecutive league starts.

The latest setback came after Odegaard went “knee-to-knee” with West Ham forward Crysencio Summerville. 

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Despite initially trying to continue, he was forced off and later seen wearing a knee brace — a worrying sign for Arsenal fans who have watched their captain struggle to stay fit since the start of the season.

The midfielder’s early withdrawal capped off what has been a stop-start beginning to the campaign. He had already been substituted early in matches against Leeds and Nottingham Forest, both times due to a recurring shoulder problem. This fresh injury, however, adds another chapter to what is becoming a frustrating injury narrative.

Arteta’s Concern Over His Captain

“I just spoke to him,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after the game as per BBC.

“He's not positive about it. He's got a brace on. We'll have to wait and see from the doctors, but we haven't been very lucky with that either.”

Arteta continued, “We haven't had him since the start of the season for one reason or the other. The shoulder twice and then this injury. We'll have to wait and see the extent of that injury, and we'll find solutions, but obviously he's our captain and is a player that gives us a completely different dimension with the things that he can do, especially in attacking. Let's wait and hopefully it's not that bad.”

Odegaard’s tough luck began back on August 23, when he was forced off after 38 minutes against Leeds, having landed awkwardly on his shoulder. He briefly returned in early September but suffered a recurrence of the same issue just 18 minutes into the match against Nottingham Forest.

After missing three games, he made his comeback as a substitute against Newcastle on September 28, before starring against Olympiakos in midweek. His influential performance in Europe suggested the skipper was back to his best — only for this new knee problem to derail his rhythm again.

Arsenal’s Depth Eases the Blow

Despite Odegaard’s misfortune, Arsenal’s summer spending has allowed Arteta to rely on a far deeper squad than in previous seasons. 

The Gunners spent around £250 million to bolster their ranks, and the benefits were evident on Saturday.

When Odegaard was withdrawn, £60m summer signing Martin Zubimendi came on and immediately made an impact. 

It was his long pass to Eberechi Eze that initiated the move for Declan Rice’s opening goal. Even when Rice later went off with a back issue, Arteta was able to turn to Mikel Merino and academy star Ethan Nwaneri.

The Arsenal boss has repeatedly stressed the importance of his bench this season. 

“It's not ideal because we had really clear intentions with the line-up,” he said. 

“But the good thing is we can bring somebody else in and be a little bit different but still very, very efficient.”

Arsenal fans will be hoping their influential captain’s latest setback proves minor  and that Odegaard can soon swap unwanted records for match-winning performances once again.