4 methods Arsenal can change injured Martin Odegaard
Catastrophe has struck Arsenal soccer membership through the September worldwide break.
Membership captain, and creator-in-chief, Martin Odegaard was hauled off within the second of Norway’s Nations League win over Austria on Monday night after severely twisting his ankle when going for a unfastened ball in the course of the park.
That harm, in addition to the one sustained by Mikel Merino and the suspension which Declan Rice is about to serve, has left the Gunners extraordinarily brief in midfield heading right into a crunch north London derby in opposition to rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
So, how can Mikel Arteta fight the lack of his key midfielder?
Here is 4 choices for the Spaniard…
Let’s get the obvious answer out of the way in which first, lets?
Mikel Arteta appeared hellbent on utilising Kai Havertz as a midfielder for the massive bulk of final season, earlier than a shift right into a centre ahead function led to the German worldwide producing his finest kind. And initially of the 2024/25 season, whereas taking part in as a quantity 9, that effective kind has continued with Havertz having bagged himself three aim contributions in three appearances.
Regardless of these performances, Arteta will most definitely be tempted to drop Havertz again into midfield as soon as once more as he is maybe probably the most pure substitute for Odegaard. One disadvantage is that the 25-year-old’s possible substitute up entrance, Gabriel Jesus, has been battling a groin harm and his understudy Eddie Nketiah has moved to Crystal Palace.
Choices, choices.
If sacrificing his beginning striker to fill a niche in midfield does not enchantment to Arteta, then an alternative choice might to show to one in every of Arsenal’s many up-and-coming starlets.
The 2 standout prospects on the membership are literally midfielders – which is fairly useful.
One is Ethan Nwaneri, who’s the youngest participant to ever play for the membership and having impressed in pre-season may very well be set to tackle a ‘vice-Bukayo Saka’ function this season.
The opposite is Myles Lewis-Skelly, who regardless of being much less ingratiated into the primary workforce, is maybe the extra pure substitute for Odegaard of the pair. The 17-year-old has been in comparison with Jack Wilshere by Arsenal followers, which tells you all you could learn about how extremely they consider him.
Among the finest issues about how Edu and co. have constructed the present Arsenal squad is the positional malleability of so most of the gamers they’ve signed.
Ben White can play wherever throughout the backline, Riccardo Calafiori (when match) can do the identical, Bukayo Saka might be utilised as a large ahead or a wing-back and, maybe crucially for Arteta’s plans transferring ahead, Oleksandr Zinchenko can transfer into midfield from a full-back function when required too.
The truth is, given his defensive struggles a left-back, Zinchenko is maybe really higher suited to taking part in in midfield than he’s in typical function in defence.
The Ukraine worldwide is extraordinarily competent on the ball and possesses a capability to change play rapidly and successfully too – one thing which ought to permit Arsenal’s assault to proceed to tick even when Odegaard is out of motion.
If Arteta does not see any of the above choices as viable stop-gaps, then the Gunners may very well be compelled to dip into the free agent market.
And whereas that market is pretty barren, there may be an outlier in France worldwide and former Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.
The midfielder has been with no membership since June, when he rejected a contract supply from Juve to check out the market as a substitute. Because of his slightly subpar efficiency over the past 12 months, that appears to have been an ill-advised transfer because it’s now September and Rabiot nonetheless does not have a membership.
If Odegaard’s harm is as severe as first feared, nonetheless, Arsenal could also be determined sufficient to offer the midfielder his first crack at Premier League soccer.
Would he be a very good signing? Kind would recommend no, however he is the most effective of a nasty bunch that is presently with no membership.
