Norway manager Stale Solbakken has admitted he doesn’t know exactly when Martin Odegaard will be back in action, but he believes the Arsenal midfielder is making good progress.
Norway boss Stale Solbakken would ideally have called upon Martin Odegaard for the March international break, but the midfielder’s recent injury made that an ill-advised decision at best.
There have been suggestions over the last week that Odegaard hopes to return to action with Arsenal after the international break, but though Solbakken has confirmed the player is making good progress, he’s admitted he doesn’t know his exact planned return date.
“I haven’t talked to him. But we have texted a bit,” Solbakken said. “The most important thing is that he is making progress. When he will be ready, I don’t know. But it is good progress.”
Solbakken didn’t deny that he would have preferred to have Odegaard involved in the national team camp this month, but added that it’s more important the player is ready for the World Cup this summer.
“Of course, we should have had him here. Like everyone else, he knows his own body best,” Solbakken said. “There has been a lot going on around his injury situation.
“We need him ready for the World Cup. He is probably using the time well to be ready for it.”
All parties want the same thing in this case. They want Odegaard to get fit as soon as possible, for him to play well over the next couple of months, and for him to remain fit and in form ahead of the World Cup this summer.
If missing a couple of March friendlies makes that possible, it will be worth his absence from the games this week.