Arsenal Still Uncertain When Captain Odegaard Can Return from Ankle Injury

Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AP)
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AP)
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Arsenal Still Uncertain When Captain Odegaard Can Return from Ankle Injury

Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AP)
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AP)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he was still waiting for a precise timeframe on Martin Odegaard’s recovery from ankle ligament damage.

Scans revealed Arsenal’s captain sustained “significant” damage when he was injured while playing for Norway this month.

He will miss the English Premier League match with Manchester City on Sunday, and Arteta said he did not know when the playmaker would be available again.

“We need to see the development in the next week or so, how the ankle reacts first of all and then the staff will give me an update on the timeframe and how long he’ll be out for,” Arteta said on Friday.

City could be without Kevin de Bruyne for the match at Etihad Stadium after appearing to strain himself before halftime of Wednesday’s Champions League match against Inter Milan.

Guardiola did not rule out the Belgian, saying he felt “a little better.”

De Bruyne’s fitness will be assessed in training on Saturday.



Wirtz Returns to Help Leverkusen Beat In-Form Frankfurt 2-1 in Bundesliga

 Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)
Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)
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Wirtz Returns to Help Leverkusen Beat In-Form Frankfurt 2-1 in Bundesliga

 Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)
Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

Florian Wirtz returned from injury to help Bayer Leverkusen defeat in-form Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday, when the latter was aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty in stoppage time.

Hugo Ekitiké looked set to score by heading the ball into an unguarded net after a mix up between goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and Jonathan Tah, but Tah rushed back to put the airborne Ekitiké off balance and miss the ball.

Frankfurt’s protests went unheeded and Victor Boniface’s 72nd-minute goal proved to be the winner for the defending champion.

Boniface had an early chance from the penalty spot but Kevin Trapp saved his poorly struck spot kick in the ninth minute.

Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush showed how it’s done seven minutes later, firing a penalty inside the left post after a clumsy challenge from Robert Andrich. It was Marmoush’s ninth goal in seven Bundesliga games, and it stretched his six-game scoring run.

But Andrich atoned by equalizing in the 25th after playing a one-two with Amine Adli and then Martin Terrier before a cool finish inside the far post.

Boniface finally scored when Trapp deflected substitute Wirtz’s cross kindly for a simple header.

Leverkusen said on Tuesday that Wirtz injured his ankle while on international duty with Germany.

Also, Xavi Simons starred for Leipzig to beat Mainz 2-0 away, Freiburg routed Augsburg 3-1 at home, Borussia Mönchengladbach defeated Heidenheim 3-2, and Hoffenheim defeated winless Bochum 3-1.