Odegaard sidelined by minor injury
Odegaard had probably been in line to start at Emirates Stadium, having come off the bench in Saturday’s victory over Leeds United, where he influenced play and provided an assist. However, when the team sheet for the second leg was announced, he was absent. Arteta has since explained the notable omission.
Arteta reveals ‘niggle’
Speaking in a pre-match interview, Arteta said: "During the [Leeds United] game, he felt a little niggle. We tried yesterday, he wasn't comfortable, so let's see if he's hopefully available for the weekend."
Odegaard joins Saka on the sidelines
Odegaard now joins fellow key player Bukayo Saka in missing the return leg against Chelsea due to injury. The winger, who missed the weekend clash with Leeds, faces around three weeks on the sidelines, ruling him out of Tuesday’s cup game, upcoming Premier League fixtures with Sunderland and Brentford, and an FA Cup tie with Wigan Athletic. Arteta provided an update on Saka, saying: "He's okay, we need to have more tests tomorrow to understand how he is. This game was too short, but let's hope that it's not too much [longer he's out]."
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