Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has sustained 'significant' ankle ligament damage

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has sustained “significant” ankle ligament damage that will keep him out of action for “a while” manager Mikel Arteta said Wednesday.

The midfielder was injured playing for Norway this month and scans have confirmed the extent of the damage.

“It’s something quite significant so we are going to lose him for a while. Hopefully not months,” Arteta said.

Arsenal plays Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday and Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.

Odegaard is a key figure for Arsenal, which finished runner-up to City in each of the last two seasons.

“He’s our captain. One of our biggest players, one of our most consistent players in the last two or three seasons," Arteta said. “Our identity is related to his way of playing and his way of behaving.

“It’s a great test for the team of how capable we are to show maybe a different face and that other players and other options can be very effective.”