Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is expected to be available for the club's match against Liverpool this week, after the Norwegian midfielder was forced off due to injury in the Gunners' 5-0 thrashing of Leeds United in their previous Premier League game.
Having been named in Norway's squad for their upcoming matches against Finland and Moldova next month, Odegaard stands a strong chance of playing for Arsenal in Sunday's clash with Liverpool.
The captain of both Arsenal and Norway sustained a shoulder injury and was substituted in the first half of Saturday's 5-0 victory over Leeds United. Norway will host Finland next Thursday, followed by a World Cup qualifier against Moldova five days later. With 12 points from four wins, Norway top Group I and are aiming to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken stated that he expects the 26-year-old midfielder's injury to stabilize. "The first few days after the injury are mainly about rest," Solbakken said. “Right now, this kind of injury is painful for the player. Odegaard's injury situation is in Arsenal's hands, and then Arsenal have another game on Sunday. So we still don't know the exact state of his injury.”
In addition, Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is another Gunner who suffered a hamstring injury in the same match against Leeds United. He appears set to miss England's World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia next month. However, the 23-year-old's hamstring injury is not as serious as initially feared, and he is likely to be sidelined for a few weeks.
Meanwhile, Porto is on the verge of striking a deal to sign Jakub Kiwior from Arsenal on loan, with an obligation to make the move permanent for approximately £22 million next summer. Arsenal signed Kiwior from Italian club Spezia for around £20 million in January 2023. The 25-year-old Polish defender has made 68 appearances for Mikel Arteta's side.
