Martin Odegaard was not included in the Arsenal squad Sunday, but he is expected to train with Norway on Thursday ahead of their games during this international break.

Martin Odegaard was not included in the Arsenal squad for their game against Brentford on Sunday.

The midfielder was in training last Saturday but missed out on the match because of calf problem he picked up the weekend before, that has impacted him since.

As we headed into an international break, Norway manager Stale Solbakken was expecting Odegaard to join his national teammates but was not sure if the midfielder would be fit enough to be involved.

“We are in regular dialogue with him and (Mikel) Arteta and Arsenal’s health sector, as it is called in Danish. Nothing has been decided there, so there is still hope,” Solbakken told TV2.

“They are the ones who have had ‘hands on him’ up until now, and they are in dialogue. He’s not doing well now.

“Now it’s a matter of getting a final decision on whether he can be in both or one game. We’ll certainly see him in Norway, either as a player or a ‘fourth coach’. It means a lot to have him.”

Now, however, Odegaard is expected in training on Thursday with his national teammates after his scan showed no issue.

Solbakken told TV2, “He arrived at the hotel at 10pm last night. Then we had to scan him, and he has to feel how he feels. He is involved in training from the start, and then we will see how it goes.

“The scan is fine, he passed a good test. He starts training, in the same way as the others.

“We don’t have anyone who can just step in and replace Martin. Not many others have either. He is a central piece, both on and off the pitch. It’s good for me, it’s good for the boys, it’s good for him and it’s good for you.”

Norway play Slovenia on Saturday and we can hope that the ‘regular dialogue’ between Norway and Arsenal will see him used with caution ahead of the north London derby on 1 October.

Odegaard has only missed five games for Arsenal through injury, with four of those coming when he was out in April 2021 with an ankle problem.

You can read more about Oleksandr Zinchenko’s injury here.