Arsenal news: Martin Odegaard responds to captaincy dig as star named ‘best in the world’

Martin Odegaard has continued his recovery to full fitness with the Arsenal skipper addressing comments from Tony Adams – who believes Tony Adams should be the club’s captain

Arsenal have been left to digest their loss to Liverpool for over a week with the international break currently in full swing as their players jet off around the globe.

Declan Rice was on target as England eventually saw off Andorra at Villa Park on Saturday with the Three Lions facing Serbia in Belgrade on Tuesday night. The next time the Gunners get back together they will be in action against Nottingham Forest, giving them the chance to close the gap on Liverpool.

Mikel Arteta has just learned that William Saliba will be sidelined for up to four weeks after he hobbled off at Anfield. The centre-half will miss a number of games, but skipper Martin Odegaard is again closing in on full fitness.

Once the domestic scene returns the north Londoners will have the chance to lay down several early markers. They head to Spain to begin their Champions League campaign before hosting Manchester City. Here’s the latest from the Emirates.

Odegaard issues injury update

Odegaard insists the shoulder issue he sustained last month is now “under control” and he rejected the concept of a conflict of interest between Arsenal and Norway after he was called up for international duty.

XXX

The Gunners skipper was forced off in the 5-0 win over Leeds after hurting his shoulder. He was deemed fit enough to feature the following weekend from the bench in the 1-0 loss away at Liverpool, but his decision to be part of Norway’s camp has divided opinion.

“It hurt a lot, but now I got it under control and I feel ready,” Odegaard said about his injury in a Norway press conference. “It was never an issue (any conflict of interest with Norway and Arsenal). I talk a lot with Stale Solbakken (Norway’s manager). The club obviously wanted me for Liverpool, and my only job was to get ready.”

Skipper rebuffs Adams’ criticism

Odegaard has also maintained he is not bothered by Arsenal legend Tony Adams calling for him to be stripped of the captain’s armband – instead believing Declan Rice should be the team’s captain. The club icon made his views clear in a recent interview.

He cast doubt over Odegaard’s leadership abilities claiming he couldn’t “encourage people to come in and lay the foundations of a title-winning team”. But the playmaker was not bothered by his opinion.

“I don’t care that much,” he said. “Everyone is allowed to have their own opinion and say what they want. I live with that. You can’t care what everyone says, there will be a lot of positive and negative things that can affect me. It’s important to just block it out. I’ve done it my whole career.”

‘Genius’ Merino hailed

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has claimed that Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino is a ‘genius’ and ‘one of the best in the world ’ after his sensational hat-trick against Turkey. The European champions secured a 6-0 win at the weekend with their versatile midfielder taking centre stage.

Merino also scored in Spain’s 3-0 win over Bulgaria on Thursday night meaning he now has six goals in six appearances for his country throughout 2025.

De La Fuente said: “We have fantastic players, and he [Merino] is another example of a footballer who does many things well. He’s a genius and a world-class player who sometimes doesn’t get the recognition in Spain.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.