ARSENAL have suffered a major blow after manager Mikel Arteta confirmed captain Martin Odegaard's ankle injury contains "significant damage" that will put him out for "a while".
The Gunners skipper sustained the injury during the international break while playing for Norway.
He missed Arsenal's North London derby victory over Tottenham on Sunday.
And now head coach Arteta has confirmed he is set to be sidelined for some time, though he did specify a return date.
Speaking in his press conference ahead of his side's clash with Champions League opener against Atalanta on Thursday, he said: "After recent scans the scans showed that he’s got some damage especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle.
"It’s something quite significant so we’re going to lose him for a while."
He went on to add: "He’s our captain. He’s been one of the biggest and best players in our team.
"Our identity is very linked to how he plays and behaves. It’s a big test for the team to see how able we are to show a different face."