OSLO (AP) — Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard will not play for Norway in its upcoming Nations League matches so he can continue his rehabilitation after two months out injured.
Odegaard made his return from an ankle injury last week, coming off the bench against Inter Milan in the Champions League and playing the full game in the 1-1 draw at Chelsea in the English Premier League.
The midfielder joined up with Norway ahead of matches against Slovenia and Kazakhstan and underwent tests with the medical team, the Norwegian Football Federation said on Tuesday.
The NFF said Odegaard’s body “is not 100%” after a complicated injury.
“After thorough research and conversations, we have agreed that Martin will not be ready to play for the matches against Slovenia and Kazakhstan,” team doctor Ola Sand said. “In consultation with him, we have agreed that it is better for him to go home to London to continue his rehabilitation there.”
Odegaard said he needed “to listen to my body.”
“The hope has always been to be able to play the international matches, and if I hadn’t played the league game on Sunday, it would have been out of the question anyway,” Odegaard said. “It’s a very bad feeling to miss these games, I love playing for Norway and with this team.”
Odegaard sustained the ankle injury on Norway duty in September and has been sorely missed by Arsenal, which has won only two of its last seven matches in all competitions.
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