Norway manager Ståle Solbakken has claimed Arsenal midfielder Martin Ødegaard is still “some distance away” from being able to return to action.
The 2025–26 campaign has been a tough one for Ødegaard, who was twice struck down by a shoulder injury during the early weeks of the season before suffering a nasty knee problem in October which has kept him sidelined ever since.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has refused to put a timeframe on Ødegaard’s return but, prior to the international break, suggested he was “not far off” alongside fellow sidelined stars Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli.
Solbakken, however, was not as confident when quizzed on his captain’s fitness at the start of the November international window.
“[Ødegaard’s recovery] is steady,” he explained. “It is going in a steady direction but he is some distance away.”
