Mikel Arteta provides update on injured star Martin Odegaard as he reveals injured Arsenal captain has suffered ‘quite significant’ ankle ligament damage – but refuses to give timescale on his return

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided a worrying update on Martin Odegaard’s ankle injury, admitting the damage he sustained was significant.

Odegaard limped off in the second half of his country’s 2-1 win over Austria in the Nations League last week and He appeared to be crying as he limped off the field.

He was later seen on crutches as he limped towards a private jet, but early reports suggested the injury would be a matter of weeks, not months.

However, Arteta has confirmed that new scans have revealed the damage is more severe.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of Thursday’s Champions League opener at Atalanta, Arteta said: “After the recent scans, the scans showed that he has some damage, especially in one of the ankle ligaments.

“It’s a pretty significant thing, so we’re going to miss it for a while.”

Asked how the team will cope without their captain, Arteta replied: “He is our captain. He has been one of the biggest and best players in our team. Our identity is very much tied to how he plays and how he behaves.”

“It’s a great test for the team to see how much we can show a different side.”