Martin Odegaard releases injury update as Arsenal respond with three-word message

Martin Odegaard has continued his recovery from injury this week, sharing a sneak peek with Arsenal supporters on social media.

The Gunners captain remains sidelined after sustaining damage to the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during the 2-0 win over West Ham earlier this month. Manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Odegaard will be out for several weeks, though the 26-year-old has declined to set a firm return date due to uncertainty around the healing process.

With the November international break approaching, the midfielder is expected to remain unavailable until after the final round of fixtures before March. A potential return could come in time for the north London derby against Tottenham on November 23.rd

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Taking to Instagram, Odegaard shared a series of photos showing his gym training alongside glimpses of family life.

His caption was simply a 'chart with upward trend' emoji - hinting at progress and improvement.

The skipper received a three-word message of encouragement from Arsenal's official account, reading: "Step by step."

Odegaard appears to be taking each day as it comes, having previously stated that much of his recovery will depend on how well his left leg responds once he returns to training.

"It's tricky to set a return date with this type of injury because, especially it being my left leg, a lot depends on how it goes when I start getting back on the pitch," said Odegaard in his programme notes recently.

"Sometimes it can be quite sore when you start passing the ball and shooting and all these things with that leg, so it's really hard to say a date.

"All I can say is I'm progressing really well at the moment. I think we will know more when I start getting back on the training pitches and we'll see how that goes. If that goes really well then it can be quick."

Meanwhile, Arteta admitted the Norwegian is a huge blow for his team, saying: "We will have to find solutions.

"But obviously, [he] is our captain and is a player that gives us a completely different dimension with things that he can do, especially in the attack.