Odegaard Opens Up on Brentford Blow as Arsenal Face FA Cup Fixture Without Key Men

Arsenal's injury woes show no sign of easing, with captain Martin Odegaard providing a candid account of the knee problem that has cast doubt over his involvement in Sunday's FA Cup clash with Wigan Athletic.

The 27-year-old midfielder came off the bench during Thursday's 1-1 stalemate at Brentford and suffered the injury when attempting to clear the ball as the hosts levelled. His account of events paints a picture of bad fortune rather than catastrophic damage: having over-stretched his leg and caught his knee in the process, Odegaard managed to continue playing before waking to considerable discomfort.

"I tried to clear the ball as it came down, but instead kicked into the player a bit, and ended up over-stretching my leg, which pinched the knee," he explained in Arsenal's matchday programme. "I was able to carry on, but on Friday morning it was very sore, so I was worried of course, but thankfully it looks like it's not too bad."

The injury represents yet another setback for a midfielder whose campaign has been repeatedly interrupted by fitness issues. Odegaard's form has drawn criticism this season, though the stop-start nature of his appearances hardly aids consistency.

Arsenal's midfield cupboard is now bare at a critical juncture. With Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz also sidelined, the club faces the Wigan tie severely depleted in central areas. That situation has been compounded by the January loan departure of Ethan Nwaneri to Marseille—a decision that looks increasingly costly in hindsight.

Manager Mikel Arteta, however, remains steadfast in his backing of the Nwaneri move. "After making the decision, who could have predicted that Mikel was going to be out for five months and Kai?" he said when pressed on whether he regretted the call.

"It's unfortunate, at the end we have to make the decisions on the moment, understanding the context there. The best decision for the club, for Ethan, for sure it was for him to go and experience a different environment, have minutes played, and get ready to come back to us."

Arteta also acknowledged the broader complications that come with loaning players out, citing the recent departure of Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi as an example of factors beyond his control.

"It's a decision and that's part of playing on loan, and that's part of a journey of a football player," he added. "You're going to have to work with different coaches, and that can happen any moment, you cannot control that, you cannot avoid that."

On a more positive note, Odegaard has shifted his focus towards the FA Cup, a competition where Arsenal harbour genuine ambitions. "This group of players hasn't had a run in this competition, and it's definitely something we want to do," he said. "In recent years, we've gone out quite early, so that's something we want to make better and it's another competition we want to go all the way in."