Martin Odegaard speaks out as Arsenal captain withdraws from Norway squad following injury

The former Real Madrid starlet has only just made his comeback from the severe ankle injury he picked up on international duty in September, featuring in Arsenal's last two games against Inter Milan and Chelsea.

After coming off the bench as a late substitute in the 1-0 Champions League loss to Inter Milan, Odegaard made the starting lineup for the first time since August in the weekend's Premier League showdown with the Blues.

The 25-year-old made his presence felt with the assist for Gabriel Martinelli's opener, before Pedro Neto equalised for Chelsea to leave Arsenal nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool in the Premier League table.

Following his domestic return, Odegaard was named in the Norway squad for their fixtures with Slovenia and Kazakhstan in the UEFA Nations League, but following further assessment, he will be heading back to North London to complete his rehabilitation there.

Odegaard 'listening to his body' as Norway decision confirmed

"After discussions with the medical apparatus at the national team, we have unfortunately concluded that the situation is not good enough to play these matches," Odegaard told the Norwegian FA, as quoted by fotball.no.

"I've been through a long training period and when you haven't practiced football in the last nine weeks, it's natural not to be 100 percent yet. I need to listen to my body, complete this rehab process and get my foot back in good shape.

"The hope has always been to be able to play the national matches, and if I hadn't played the series match on Sunday, it would have been out of the question to participate anyway. It's a very bad feeling to lose these games. I love playing for Norway and with this team. But I have great faith in the boys and wish them the best of luck - there are still good opportunities to win the group."

Meanwhile, Norway's team doctor Ola Sand admitted that Odegaard's ankle injury - which he sustained in a duel with Austria's Christoph Baumgartner on the second matchday of the Nations League - was a complex one to overcome.

"This has been a complicated ankle injury. With very few training sessions with the team in the last nine weeks, it is natural that the body is not one hundred percent at this stage," Sand added.

Odegaard withdrawal follows Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice concerns

"After thorough investigations and conversations, we have agreed that Martin will not be ready to play for the matches against Slovenia and Kazakhstan. In consultation with him, we have agreed that it is better for him to return home to London to continue his rehabilitation there."

Finally, Norway head coach Stale Solbakken insisted that it was not worth risking further injury to Odegaard, as influential as he is to the national team, adding: "We knew that there was a risk that Martin would not be ready.

"He has had a strong desire to take part in the matches, but we cannot risk his health. So I am sure that the boys are ready to give their all in the games that await us and that many will step up in his absence."

Odegaard's withdrawal comes less than 24 hours after Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were among eight players to pull out of the England squad, having both come out of the Chelsea stalemate worse for wear.

Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are also on the sidelines for the Gunners, whose first game back after the international break comes at home to high-flying Nottingham Forest on November 23.