Classic “injury added to insult” yesterday as Arsenal lost to AFC Bournemouth 2-1 in the Premier League, and suffered a fresh injury concern in the process. Martin Odegaard is now deemed to be a doubt for Wednesday night, with an injury that was undisclosed.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was very cagey about the Norwegian’s prospects for featuring in the second leg.
UEFA Champions League Semifinals Leg 2/2
Kickoff: Wed. May 7, 8pm, Parc des Princes, Paris, France
Aggregate: PSG leads 1-0
Arsenal Preview Material: Team News Starting Lineup Prediction
Google 90 Min Result Probability: Paris Saint-Germain 46% Draw 26% Arsenal 28%
Gunners Team News
“I haven’t had a chance yet to speak to a doctor to give me an update on that, so I don’t know,” Arteta said, regarding Odegaard, in his post match media opportunity on Saturday.
Odegaard did not look himself/play very well this past weekend, so one can assume that something is up with him.
Arteta was also asked if he was confident that fullback Jurrien Timber could feature in some capacity on Wednesday night, after the Dutchman missed out on Saturday.
“Confident? At the moment, no, because he wasn’t able to play here and we play in four days,” Arteta responded.
Timber was withdrawn in the first leg, due to an unspecified knock, and Arteta has been coy about the specifics there as well.
Meanwhile Arteta provided updates on long-term injury absentees Kai Havertz (hamstring) and Jorginho (abdomen) on Friday.
Havertz could be back later on this month, with Arteta saying:
“If everything goes the way it’s going at the moment, and as planned. He will have a chance to play a few games before the end of the season.”
Jorginho is basically in the same boat, with his chances of featuring again before the season ends up in the air.
“Out,” Arteta responded. “It got a bit more complicated than expected.
“Thankfully, he is fine and recovering well.
“Hopefully, if things go well in the next week or so, he will integrate into the team for the last few games.”
Things sound more encouraging for Havertz than they do for Jorginho at this point.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter