Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard is not expected to return from a knee injury until after the November international break.
The midfielder suffered a medial collateral ligament injury in the Gunners’ victory over West Ham on 4 October and had to be replaced during the first half.
Arsenal released a statement the following day, confirming Ødegaard would miss the current international window, but did not provide a timeline for his recovery.
However, the 26-year-old is set to remain unavailable until after the next set of international fixtures in mid-November.
The news means Ødegaard will miss Premier League matches against Fulham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sunderland, as well as Champions League fixtures against Atlético Madrid and Slavia Prague.
This news came as a blow to manager Mikel Arteta, given Ødegaard’s importance to his team.
The start of Ødegaard’s season has been marred by injury problems, with the midfielder being forced off in the first half of three consecutive Premier League matches.
Arsenal face north London rivals Tottenham immediately after next month’s international break, and it remains to be seen whether Ødegaard can recover in time for the derby on 23 November.
Norway took a significant step towards qualification for the 2026 World Cup on Saturday, beating Israel 5-0.
Should they qualify for next summer’s competition, it will be their first international tournament since 2000.
