Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard is close to a return after suffering an ankle ligament injury, according to Norway national team coach Stale Solbakken. The midfielder has been sidelined since September when he sustained the injury while playing for his national team.
"Everything indicates that (the injury) is going according to plan and it’s the final steps when you train with opponents and a training team," Solbakken told the newspaper Verdens Gang. "It will depend on how he responds, but we have justified hopes to say that he is ready."
Arsenal faces Liverpool on Sunday in the Premier League, and coach Mikel Arteta did not want to confirm if Ødegaard is among the options. In a press conference on Friday, Arteta noted that Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori, and Jurrien Timber are doubtful for the match against Liverpool.
"We will do everything possible to have them available in some way, but there is no certainty," he assured. Saka is suffering from a hamstring tendon injury, Calafiori twisted his knee in the last Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk. Timber has not played since the beginning of the month due to an unspecified issue.
Center-back William Saliba will miss the match against Liverpool due to suspension after being sent off in last Saturday’s defeat against Bournemouth.
