Norway head coach Stale Solbakken has explained Martin Odegaard’s reluctance to get involved in the team’s celebrations after their 5-0 win over Israel at the weekend.

The three points mean Odegaard’s country are one step closer to qualifying for the World Cup, and when asked why the Arsenal midfielder was not present in the dressing room following the match, Solbakken replied:

“It wasn’t that easy to get into that locker room after the game. He was terrified of sticking his knee into those scenes there!”

As Solbakken mentions, Odegaard is carrying a knee injury. He was permitted to travel to watch his team play and he was pictured in the stands on Saturday. However, it looks like the 26-year-old is being extremely cautious in terms of his recovery.

How long could Odegaard be out for?

The club captain injured his medial collateral ligament in the first half of the 2-0 win over West Ham earlier this month.

A former Norway club doctor has said that Odegaard could be sidelined for between “six to eight weeks”, but there are more optimistic estimates suggesting he could return sooner than that.

A lot hinges on how badly damaged the ligament is. Based on his actions while away with Norway, though, it seems he isn’t going to return immediately after the international break.

Latest Arsenal injury news

Declan Rice played for England against Wales on Thursday, so the midfielder has clearly recovered from the back problem that forced him off in the second half against West Ham.

Piero Hincapie is hoping to make his return from a groin problem when club football resumes. The injury has kept him out since he made his debut against Athletic Club in the Champions League.

Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz (both knee) and Gabriel Jesus (ACL) are still on the treatment table.

Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here