Norway boss gives update as Martin Odegaard travels to Oslo | OneFootball

Martin Odegaard has travelled to Norway ahead of the international break, though it remains unclear whether or not he’ll play any football.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Martin Odegaard of Arsenal warms up prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on November 10, 2024. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Norway manager Stale Solbakken has confirmed that national team captain Martin Odegaard is on his way to Oslo ahead of the international break, though he didn’t confirm whether the Arsenal player would be involved on the pitch this week.

“I spoke to him late yesterday,” Solbakken confirmed on Monday. “He is on his way to Oslo, so we can take it from there.”

LONDON, ENGLAND: Martin Odegaard of Arsenal controls the ball during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on November 10, 2024. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Odegaard was initially left out of Norway’s squad for the November internationals, but Solbakken later revealed that the 25-year-old could still be called up.

“We follow the situation day by day,” Solbakken said early last week. “As of now, Martin is not 100 percent ready to play, but we are in daily contact with both him and Arsenal. Then a decision will be made on that after the weekend.”

Since those comments, Odegaard has played a few minutes against Inter Milan and the full 90 against Chelsea, providing an assist and creating a fantastic chance for a second goal right at the end of the match.

It makes sense that Solbakken is reassessing whether the player could be ready for his team too.

Norway’s Martin Odegaard and Austria’s Philipp Lienhart vie for the ball during the UEFA Nations League, League B, Group B3 football match Norway vs Austria at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, Norway on September 9, 2024. (Photo by TERJE PEDERSEN/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)

Norway’s game against Slovenia will likely come too soon for another start, as it’s scheduled for Thursday evening. But perhaps the following match against Kazakhstan could be a good option.

Having only just returned, Odegaard does need to build up his minutes. Making one start over the break could help him to keep things ticking over before Arsenal’s game against Nottingham Forest the following Saturday.

The question is whether Solbakken will be responsible with Odegaard this time, having ignored two separate knocks to play the midfielder in every minute of the September break – up until he got properly injured.

Giving Odegaard two full 90s just days after his first start in two months would be a huge risk.