Arsenal offered Martin Odegaard hope as Norway boss makes fresh injury statement

Norway head coach Stale Solbakken has offered hope Arsenal starlet Martin Odegaard could yet prove his fitness before next month's international break.

The revelation comes after Mikel Arteta revealed his indispensable captain had suffered ankle ligament damage after hobbling off during Norway's 2-1 victory over Austria in Oslo earlier this month.

But Solbakken suggests he is yet to have been told Odegaard will conclusively miss fixtures against Slovenia and Austria in October despite the diagnosis. He told Norwegian outlet NRK : "We are preparing with a plan with Martin and one without."

Meanwhile, Arteta fears he will be without Odegaard "for a while" though he was not willing to put a timeline on the problem and it is not yet clear whether the playmaker will be sidelined for weeks or months.

Arteta said, speaking in Bergamo ahead of tonight's Champions League opener against Atalanta: “After everything was scanned, the scan showed he has got some damage, especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle.

"We are going to miss him. I don’t want to [give a timeline] because I am not a doctor but yes, it is something quite significant so we are going to lose him for a while. Hopefully not months, but let’s see.”

The Gunners added on Odegaard's injury via the official club website: "Martin Odegaard will likely be out for the next few matches with ankle ligament damage."

Arsenal also have a pulsating early Premier League title showdown with Manchester City on the horizon as they travel to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

But Declan Rice, who missed last weekend's memorable 1-0 triumph over Tottenham in the north London derby, will return to the Arsenal fold tonight and will also be available for selection to face City following his one-match ban in the Premier League.

Arteta tinkered with his tactical setup for the victory against Spurs, dropping Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz back into midfield in various stages of the match. Ethan Nwaneri also enjoyed an impressive cameo from the bench as he continues to make an impression behind the scenes.

And Arteta has made it known that he is not afraid to throw his youngsters in at the deep end if required, stating: "The young kids have given us a lot of hope and have shown we can count on them. And if we need to, we will do it."