Captain Martin Odegaard will miss Arsenal’s opening UEFA Champions League 2025-26 game against Athletic Bilbao after joining the team’s growing injury list.
Odegaard was substituted after 17 minutes in the 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday after falling awkwardly on his right shoulder following a challenge.
The Norway midfielder took no part in training on Monday, and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta later said Odegaard didn’t travel to Spain for Tuesday’s game.
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Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Ben White are also out injured. Still, William Saliba, who was also sidelined from the win against Forest, is poised to feature after he joined his teammates at training.
Arsenal reached the Champions League semifinals last season, losing to eventual champion Paris Saint-Germain, and has still never won Europe’s biggest prize.
Asked what he learned from last season’s run, Arteta said: “That we are good enough and we can compete against any opposition on the day. And on top of that, that things have to go your way.”
Published on Sep 16, 2025
