Huge Arsenal boost as Martin Odegaard returns to training ahead of Inter Milan clash
MARTIN ODEGAARD has given Arsenal a huge boost by returning to training ahead of their Champions League clash with Inter Milan.
The Gunners will face off against the Italian champions at the San Siro on Wednesday evening.
Captain Odegaard, 25, has been sidelined since suffering an injury while away on international duty with Norway at the beginning of September.
Since then, Mikel Arteta‘s men have won just three of their last seven Premier League games and are without a victory in three matches.
Defeats to Bournemouth and Newcastle either side of a draw with Liverpool have left Arsenal seven points adrift of Arne Slot‘s pacesetters.
So the return of Odegaard after two months out will be a welcome sight for Arsenal fans.
However, it is not yet known when he will be ready to play.
Odegaard scored 11 goals and assisted 11 more in 48 appearances last season.
Arteta has tried a number of players in the No10 position during his skipper’s absence.
Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri have all attempted to fill Odegaard’s boots, but with little success.
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Following their game against Inter, Arsenal travel to take on Chelsea in a huge London derby on Sunday.
Defeat could leave them 10 points behind in the title race.
Arsenal’s injury list currently stands at three – Takehiro Tomiyasu, Riccardo Calafiori and Kieran Tierney.
Raheem Sterling will also be absent for the Chelsea game as he cannot face his parent club.
How Edu made Arsenal great again
By Jack Rosser
EDU GASPAR has been on a mission to ‘Make Arsenal Great Again’ ever since returning to the club he played for 2019.
After a few wobbles early on – signing Nicolas Pepe will never reflect well – the Brazilian has, alongside Mikel Arteta, been crucial in the club’s transformation.
Arteta was brought in as the new manager within months of Edu’s return to North London and the former midfielder stuck by the boss when the pressure was on two years into the job.
Instead of making the knee-jerk decision to change manager again, the former Brazil international, joined forces with Arteta to institute a huge change of culture at The Emirates.
Overpaid toxic influences such as Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were purged from the dressing room and Arsenal set about adding strong characters.
Edu finally got the club competing in the transfer market again, with Martin Odegaard an outstanding capture for the club. In landing Declan Rice ahead of Manchester City last year Arsenal showed they couple compete for and sign some of Europe’s biggest talents once more.
Arsenal have become one of the most attractive clubs in the Premier League and one of the most efficient in the market.
While there have been big deals for the likes of Rice and Calafiori, there have been smart ones too – picking out value where others have lost hope.
Kai Havertz appeared as a surprising signing after a dreadful season at Chelsea. But after Edu gave the German space and support to rebuild his confidence he has developed into a fine asset for Arteta.
Edu does not only have a tight relationship with Arteta – who many fans will be glad signed a new deal before the sporting director’s departure – but the players too, always ready and waiting to check in, keep them going.
London Colney and The Emirates will feel a very different place for all of them without Edu.