Arsenal Captain in Final Stages of Recovery from Injury after 2 Months Out

FILE - 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 Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
FILE - 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 Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
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Arsenal Captain in Final Stages of Recovery from Injury after 2 Months Out

FILE - 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 Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
FILE - 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 Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is in the final stages of his recovery from an ankle injury after nearly two months out, manager Mikel Arteta said Friday.
Arteta said Odegaard wouldn’t play against Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday but didn’t rule the midfielder out of the trip to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
“Now is the stage where he is going to do certain work with us. Let’s see how he deals with pain and if his movement is natural enough,” Arteta said.
“He’s physically now at the level required to compete. With the work rate and hours he has put in, I’d be surprised that the moment he starts training with us, he looks ready. Hopefully soon.”
Odegaard was injured playing for Norway in a Nations League group-stage match on Sept. 9 and Arsenal has missed his creativity and leadership. After collecting just one point from its last two games, Arsenal is in third place, five points behind leader Manchester City.
Arteta said left back Riccardo Calafiori would also miss the Newcastle game because of injury but fellow defender Gabriel will be in contention if he trains well on Friday.



Man City Have the Spirit to Weather the Storm, Dias Says

Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gives instructions to Manchester City's Portuguese defender #03 Ruben Dias from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 1, 2024. (AFP)
Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gives instructions to Manchester City's Portuguese defender #03 Ruben Dias from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 1, 2024. (AFP)
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Man City Have the Spirit to Weather the Storm, Dias Says

Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gives instructions to Manchester City's Portuguese defender #03 Ruben Dias from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 1, 2024. (AFP)
Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gives instructions to Manchester City's Portuguese defender #03 Ruben Dias from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 1, 2024. (AFP)

Manchester City have the character to come through the rough patch of form that saw the defending champions slump to a fourth straight Premier League defeat at Liverpool on Sunday, defender Ruben Dias said.

Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah gave leaders Liverpool a 2-0 win at Anfield which left City 11 points behind Arne Slot's side in fifth place.

City, who lost four league games in a row for the first time since 2008, are winless in their last seven matches in all competitions, a run that includes six defeats and a 3-3 draw at home against Feyenoord in the Champions League.

They have conceded 19 goals during the winless streak, shipping four in matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Sporting. Prior to the slump they had conceded 11 in 14 games.

"I will not talk about the little details but focus on the bigger picture," said Dias, who was at fault in the lead up to Liverpool's second.

"That is, even though it was a difficult moment I did see a lot of character and I did see the fans behind us and that is the only way we are going to go through it."

City, who have won six of the last seven Premier League titles, have been hit hard by injuries to key players such as Rodri, Mateo Kovacic and John Stones but manager Pep Guardiola has been able to guide the side through injury crises in previous seasons.

"This is just part of our legacy. We have won so much and still we are where we are and this happens," Dias added.

"We have been able to be versatile, adapt and keep on moving forward and thinking one game at a time... That is what we need to get back to."