Though undercooked in terms of minutes this season Martin Odegaard could be thrown in at the deep end when Arsenal host Manchester United this weekend.
Odegaard completed his loan move to Arsenal from Real Madrid earlier this week, with the 22-year-old now at Mikel Arteta’s disposal for the remainder of the campaign.
The midfielder has racked up just 367 minutes of football in 2020-21, with a return to Real Madrid after a successful loan spell at Real Sociedad last season failing to result in an increased role under Zinedine Zidane.
Arteta must therefore decide whether Odegaard is ready to start on Saturday, an option the Arsenal manager may be pushed towards if Emile Smith Rowe does not pass a late fitness test.
Smith Rowe came off in the midweek win at Southampton after picking up a knock, and Arteta admitted he is not a certainty for the upcoming Premier League match against United, so too Thomas Partey.
“I don’t know, let’s see how they [get on],” Arteta said. “They had some discomforts in different parts, Thomas and Emile, and we will have to see how they evolve. We still have some days until the game but not long so let’s see how they recover.”
In his pre-match press conference, Arteta also alluded to Odegaard’s lack of minutes this season, admitting the player will need time to settle in. “It’s a little bit early to decide. Let’s see how he goes in training and we will see, don’t worry,” Arteta said.
The Arsenal manager added: “He’s a player that we followed for some time and we believe that he’s got some special qualities that we need, that we have been missing.
“Now we have to give him a little bit of time. He hasn’t played that many minutes in Madrid but he’s been training hard and he looks so excited, as we are, to have another big talent at our club.
“I think in the last few seasons he’s progressed and developed in the right way. I’ve followed him very closely because he played for Real Sociedad, which is my hometown. I know him really well.
“I’ve been really impressed. He’s a such a talent. He needs the right environment, he needs a little bit of time but I think he’s got the qualities to be a success for us.”
Should Smith Rowe remain out and Arteta opts not to start Odegaard, one alternative could be Willian after the Brazilian started in attacking midfield against Southampton last weekend.
That would ease the pressure on Odegaard, and mean the Norwegian is an option for Arteta off the bench when the game becomes stretched in the second half.
This could play into Odegaard’s hands, allowing him to study his first Premier League match from the sidelines before Arteta turns to his “creativity” for something special.
“He’s a specialist to play in the pockets, to play in the No 8 or 10 positions,” Arteta added. “He can play off the sides. He’s a really creative player who’s really comfortable on the ball in tight spaces.
“He has the capacity to create chances and to score goals. Something that he has improved a lot is his work-rate without the ball as well, so it’s another option to give us more creativity for sure in the final third, and give us more options to set up in different ways against certain teams.”
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