Martin Odegaard: Arsenal captain set to miss North London derby against Tottenham with ankle injury

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard looks certain to miss Sunday's North London derby, at the start of a tough week for the Gunners, after suffering an ankle injury on international duty for Norway.

Odegaard was carried off the pitch after injurying his ankle during a Nations League game with Austria.

Norway coach Stale Solbakken told broadcaster TV2: "It looked bad in the dressing room too."

Team doctor Ola Sand added. "He got a small ankle sprain. We will see throughout the evening and [Tuesday] what happens next and what we will do about it."

More details about the severity of the injury are bound to emerge later on Tuesday. But Odegaard now looks very unlikely to face Tottenham on Sunday, with Mikel Arteta set to be denied his entire first-choice midfield for the match, live on Sky Sports.

New signing Mikel Merino fractured his shoulder in his first training session for the club and is not expected to debut before October, while Declan Rice is suspended due to his peculiar dismissal against Brighton.

Nor could Odegaard's injury be worse timed: Arsenal start their Champions League campaign at Atalanta on Thursday night before facing a quick turnaround to play at Manchester City on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.

Leandro Trossard is the most obvious candidate to replace Odegaard. Were Trossard to be redeployed, it could pave the way for loan signing Raheem Sterling to make his first Arsenal start on the left wing at Tottenham.

But that in turn would still leave Arteta with a selection dilemma to fill Rice's role as a left-sided midfielder. Given Gabriel Jesus' own injury concerns, it seems likely Kai Havertz will remain up front, so Oleksandr Zinchenko may have to move upfield.

Why Arsenal cannot afford to lose Odegaard

Arsenal have one player in the team they cannot afford to be without and that is captain Martin Odegaard.

The Norwegian midfielder is the heartbeat of the team and his world-class levels both with and without the ball are not only crucial to Mikel Arteta's side, but also impossible to find elsewhere in the team.

Odegaard was the most creative player in the Premier League last season, with the Arsenal captain topping the expected assist tally of 11.17. The only player who got close to that mark was team-mate Bukayo Saka, who got 11.

But it is his role in Arsenal's pressing where Odegaard is so vital. No player won more possessions in the final third than him last season, while only five players have managed more pressures leading to a turnover than the Gunners midfielder.

More worryingly, Arsenal have a serious midfield crisis going into Sunday's North London derby at Tottenham, live on Sky Sports. Mikel Merino is out for a while with a fractured shoulder, while Declan Rice is suspended for the game after his red card against Brighton.

With Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira allowed to leave in the transfer window, it leaves Arsenal worryingly short in central midfield. Thomas Partey - not always reliable fitness-wise himself - is now a guaranteed starter. Arteta must pick who out of Jorginho, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard could play alongside him in the No 8 role if Odegaard ends up on the absentee list.

The Arsenal manager could also turn to youth, with Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly - both yet to make a Premier League start for the Gunners - impressing in pre-season. Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Oleksandr Zinchenko also have midfield experience in their careers and often end up in that area of the pitch as inverted full-backs.

But it is not an ideal situation for Arsenal, who have three busy away trips to Spurs, Atalanta and then Man City in their first seven days after the international break.

They have already dropped points to Brighton this season and may not want any more slip-ups in this unforgiving title race with Man City.

Seven games in 21 days - Arsenal's busy month ahead

September 15: Tottenham (A), Premier League, live on Sky Sports, kick-off 2pm

September 19: Atalanta (A), Champions League, kick-off 8pm

September 22: Man City (A), Premier League, live on Sky Sports, kick-off 4.30pm

September 25: Bolton (H), Carabao Cup third round, live on Sky Sports+, kick-off 7.45pm

September 28: Leicester (H), Premier League, kick-off 3pm

October 1: Paris Saint-Germain (H), Champions League, kick-off 8pm

October 5: Southampton (H), Premier League, kick-off 3pm