Martin Odegaard is set to miss three weeks of Premier League action after sustaining an ankle injury on international duty, according to Norway's team doctor.

Odegaard was forced to withdraw from Norway's 2-1 win over Austria in the Nations League on Monday after coming together with Christoph Baumgartner in midfield.

The 25-year-old has since returned to London for further assessment but looks likely to miss the Gunners' important league fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. 

Mikel Arteta is already without Declan Rice for the north London derby this weekend following his red card against Brighton and Hove Albion. 

And while no time frame has been officially confirmed by Arteta, Norway’s team doctor Ola Sand believed Odegaard would need a few weeks to recover. 

“Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks. Anything other than that is just a bonus, and then it can take longer,” Sand told Norwegian newspaper VG.

“What we have so far obtained from the MRI examination in London is that there is probably no fracture in the ankle.

“It is always a bit difficult to interpret an MRI scan when you have had an old injury, but Arsenal are almost certain there is no breach, but this may still take some time.

“In the event of a fracture, we are talking about being out of action for six weeks plus.”

Odegaard would also miss Arsenal's first Champions League fixture away to Atalanta on September 19 as the Gunners look to improve on their quarter-final run in the competition last season. 

The Gunners captain is yet to register a goal or an assist this term, but has again proved influential for Arteta, with his five chances created, a total only bettered by Bukayo Saka (eight) in the first three games of the new season. 

As well as Arsenal missing Odegaard, Arteta will be sweating on the fitness of summer signing Riccardo Calafiori after he was replaced in Italy's 3-1 win over France last week with a calf injury. 

Fellow arrival Mikel Merino is sidelined after sustaining a fractured shoulder, though there could be a return to the side for Gabriel Jesus after recovering from a groin issue.

Florian Wirtz scored after just seven seconds as Germany grabbed a surprise 2-0 friendly win over France in Lyon.

The 20-year-old Bayer Leverkusen forward struck moments after kick-off as the Euro 2024 hosts stunned the tournament favourites.

There was also an immediate assist for Toni Kroos, back in a Germany shirt three years after announcing his international retirement.

Straight from the whistle, the 34-year-old chipped the ball forward to Wirtz, who had darted to midway inside the France half.

Wirtz controlled the ball, took two more touches as he strolled forward before lashing his shot home from 20 yards.

It was the youngster’s first goal for his country and would have been the fastest international goal on record had Austria’s Christoph Baumgartner not opened the scoring after six seconds in his country’s friendly against Slovakia earlier on Saturday.

The previous quickest was Lukas Podolski’s strike for Germany against Ecuador in 2013.

France dominated the rest of the first half but Marcus Thuram side-footed their first decent chance over the crossbar from the edge of the box.

Kylian Mbappe then brought down a cross in the area only to shank his shot wide, before Aurelien Tchouameni skied a cross from Ousmane Dembele.

But Germany made it to half-time in front and promptly doubled their lead three minutes into the second half.

Wirtz turned provider, lifting the ball into the path of Jamal Musiala, who drove diagonally round France goalkeeper Brice Samba.

The Bayern Munich winger reached the byline before pulling the ball back for Arsenal forward Havertz to slot in his 15th international goal.

Mbappe, enduring a quiet evening, got himself booked after a tussle with Robert Andrich before firing an ambitious shot wide.

Stuttgart defender Maximilian Mittelstadt almost made it a debut to remember 10 minutes from full-time when he strode forward and fired goalwards.

His shot looked destined to nestle inside the far post until Samba stretched to get a fingertip to the ball and divert it wide.

Samba also denied Thomas Muller with a fine one-handed save after the substitute shot from 14 yards.

Mittelstadt was spared a comical own goal late on by a goal-line clearance from Antonio Rudiger, who sliced the ball onto his own crossbar to cap an ultimately disappointing night for the French.

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