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Just 3 days after a “brilliant” display against Olympiakos in the Champions League, things are not looking so positive once again for Martin Odegaard.

The Arsenal captain set a record during the 2-0 triumph over West Ham on Saturday when he was substituted after only 30 minutes, making him the very first player in Premier League history to be substituted in the first half in three consecutive starts.

This continues a disappointing opening few weeks of the campaign for the 26-year-old Norwegian, who has additionally been replaced prematurely in wins against Leeds and Nottingham Forest.

On those occasions, it was because of an lingering shoulder injury. This time, after being named in an attacking team by coach Mikel Arteta, he had to come off after suffering “knee-to-knee” with West Ham attacker Crysencio Summerville.

“I recently spoke to him,” said Arteta following the game. “He's not hopeful about it. He's got a brace on. We'll need to wait and see from the doctors, but we haven't had very fortunate with that either.

“We haven't had him since the beginning of the season for various reasons. The shoulder on two occasions and then this injury.

“We'll have to wait and see the severity of that injury, and we'll come up with solutions, but clearly he's our skipper and is a player that offers a totally different aspect with the things that he can do, particularly in the final third.

“Let's see and with any luck it's not that serious.”

Odegaard has not enjoyed much fortune so far with fitness issues this season...

The Way Odegaard Set an Undesired Record

Arsenal 5-0 Leeds (23 August)

After playing 90 minutes in the first match of the campaign against Manchester United, Odegaard was taken off 38 minutes into their next game against Leeds after landing awkwardly on his shoulder.

Arteta said it was difficult to tell how serious the injury was immediately after full-time and that he would be sent for a scan.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest (13 September)

Odegaard was back in the squad for the 1-0 defeat at Liverpool over a week later, coming on for the last 20 minutes, and then began both of Norway's matches during the September international break.

He was returned in the Gunners' lineup against Nottingham Forest on 13 September but was forced off once more in the 18th minute, with Arteta afterwards revealing the injury was a return of his shoulder issue.

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham (4 October)

Odegaard missed Arsenal's following 3 matches before returning as a second-half substitute against Newcastle on 28 September and then playing the full match against Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday.

But just half an hour into Saturday's victory against West Ham he once more was replaced, this time due to a injury to his knee.

The Significant Upside: Arsenal's Enhanced Squad Depth

Odegaard featured in 45 appearances for Arsenal in every competition the previous campaign and is typically the first-choice player for Arteta.

It was fitness problems that disrupted their push for the title in 2024-25, with Odegaard personally enduring a spell on the sidelines with an ankle issue.

But now things are different in the red half of London.

The Gunners spent approximately £250m in the summer transfer window, bringing in eight fresh signings, and that squad depth has already played a huge part in their impressive beginning to the campaign.

Arteta was able to bring on £60m Martin Zubimendi to replace Odegaard and it was his long pass to Eberechi Eze which started the attack from which Declan Rice netted the opening goal.

Rice also went off with a back problem - but Arteta was in a position to bring on Mikel Merino and academy graduate Ethan Nwaneri in a genuine demonstration of depth.

The Arsenal manager has previously stated that the “substitutes may be more important than the first eleven in this campaign” - while he will hope that he won't have to keep going to his bench due to injury issues.

“It's less than perfect because we had really clear plans with the line-up,” he commented. “But the good thing is we can bring another player in and be a little bit different but nevertheless extremely efficient.”