Arsenal’s captain, Martin Odegaard, will not be participating in Norway’s upcoming Nations League fixtures as he continues his recovery from an injury that kept him sidelined for two months.

Odegaard made his comeback from an ankle injury recently, featuring as a substitute in the Champions League match against Inter Milan and playing the entire game in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the English Premier League.

He joined the Norwegian national team in preparation for their games against Slovenia and Kazakhstan. However, after conducting medical evaluations, the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) announced that Odegaard’s condition is still not at full capacity due to the complexity of his injury.

Team physician Ola Sand stated, “Following extensive examinations and discussions, we concluded that Martin is not ready to compete in the matches against Slovenia and Kazakhstan. We feel that it’s in his best interest to return to London to continue his rehabilitation.” This decision was reached in collaboration with Odegaard, who acknowledged the importance of listening to his body’s signals.

Odegaard expressed his disappointment about missing these matches, saying, “I had always hoped to play in the international fixtures. If I hadn’t been able to participate in the league game on Sunday, it would have been impossible to join the national team.” He added that representing Norway and being part of the squad is something he deeply cherishes.

The midfielder picked up his ankle injury during international duty in September and has been greatly missed by Arsenal, who have struggled, winning only two out of their last seven contests across all competitions.