Martin Odegaard is in contention to start against Manchester City but the midfielder is still recovering from a shoulder injury. 

Martin Odegaard has been working hard to recover from a shoulder injury that has kept him out of action for several days.

The Arsenal captain suffered the injury during the match against Nottingham Forest last weekend, playing just 18 minutes before having to come off. This was a repeat of what happened three weeks earlier in the match against Leeds United, where Odegaard was forced off in the first half with a similar shoulder injury.

Odegaard reflected on the two injuries in his pre-match programme notes, saying that it’s been a case of bad luck. “My shoulder was very sore, but I’ve just been taking it day by day this week, working hard to hopefully be ready in time for today’s game,” he said.

Despite his efforts, it seems unlikely that Odegaard will be fit for the match against Manchester City.

According to Odegaard, the challenge itself was fine, but he felt something connect with his foot, which kind of flipped him forward, and he couldn’t do anything about how he landed.

This awkward landing likely contributed to the injury. Odegaard’s determination to be fit for the big match is evident, but his body might have other plans.

The first injury had healed really well, and Odegaard was over it, but then the same thing happened again. He described it as a strange and very unfortunate incident, especially since it had never happened to him in 11 years, only to occur twice in two weeks. This also raises concerns about Odegaard’s fitness and whether he’ll be able to lead Arsenal to victory against Manchester City.