Morning.
The one place to begin this morning is the harm suffered by Martin Odegaard throughout Norway’s 2-1 win over Austria. The captain’s foot obtained caught in a problem, and if you happen to watch the video, you may see his ankle twist proper beneath him, earlier than snapping again.
Ødegaard off with an nasty harm. Screaming in ache. Does not look good in any respect.
Hate internationals with a ardour 🤬🤬pic.twitter.com/SfRgnRoEAn
— 🇳🇴 kimmoFC (@kimmoFC) September 9, 2024
He clearly knew it was a foul one, and got here off after some therapy. Proper now, we’ve nothing a lot to go on as a result of it’s nonetheless so quickly after the harm. It could actually take a day or two to get the data we want, however it didn’t look good in any respect, and if he obtained away with out damaging his ankle ligaments to some extent I might be completely amazed. I’d even be astonished if he had been out there for Sunday’s North London derby, including to Mikel Arteta’s midfield headache.
Norway boss, Stale Solbakken, reasonably blithely stated on TV afterwards:
We all know it was an ankle sprain. With luck it could possibly prove OK, if the ligaments aren’t torn, however I’m not likely positive Arteta will name me tonight to reward me.
Since Declan Rice’s crimson card in opposition to Brighton the dialogue has been about how we configure the crew with out him, however the concept that we’ll seemingly need to go there with out him and Odegaard appears fairly merciless. There’s no Fabio Vieira after his mortgage to Porto was sanctioned, Mikel Merino is injured after his unlucky collision in coaching, and choices are restricted. Step ahead Ethan Nwaneri, I suppose – once you take a look at the squad and who may probably are available in and do one thing just like what the captain does, he’s the apparent selection. It’s loads to ask of a 17 yr previous although, and little question the midfield dialogue will proceed all through the week.
I’ve seen a whole lot of discuss how Arsenal ought to by no means have allowed Odegaard to go away with Norway, having taken a heavy kick within the Brighton recreation – and I get that fully. I want we had been a bit extra cynical in that regard, however it’s vital to acknowledge this can be a two-way avenue. Gamers need to play for his or her international locations, and if you happen to insist they sit video games out after they really feel they’re okay to play, you threat damaging your relationship with them.
For all of the speak of what different golf equipment do on this regard, Man Metropolis despatched their solely striker away to play two video games for Norway throughout this Interlull. Perhaps they obtained fortunate Erling Haaland didn’t get injured, possibly we obtained unfortunate Odegaard did, however you may’t simply ignore a participant’s needs. Perhaps we should be extra persuasive, possibly we are able to do extra, however it’s actually not so simple as simply saying no – and I feel it’s additionally vital to notice that the gamers themselves have some accountability right here too.
For me, the larger concern is what the hell we want these internationals for simply three video games into a brand new season, and why are there nonetheless no mechanisms that put some accountability on nationwide associations for the welfare of gamers? Golf equipment pay tens of tens of millions of kilos in switch charges for footballers, on prime of large wages/bonuses and so forth, who’re then capable of be plucked away by set-ups that are, in some circumstances, little greater than novice.
The supervisor or head coach doesn’t have to fret about whether or not Martin Odegaard is match for the derby, or our first Champions League recreation away at Atlanta, or our journey the next weekend to Man Metropolis … as soon as he’s match once more for the subsequent set of internationals. It’s superb to me that there isn’t a means for golf equipment to be correctly compensated when gamers get injured on worldwide responsibility. Why isn’t there a check-list which entails gamers, golf equipment and nationwide associations which assesses threat? If a nationwide crew chooses to play somebody who’s carrying a knock, or taking part in by way of the ache to an extent, they assume a punitive monetary threat if that participant will get an harm which retains them sidelined for his or her membership.
I do know it’s the kind of factor that would simply be abused, relying as it will on full disclosure from all events always, however when we’ve these conversations about participant welfare, absolutely one thing like this must be a part of it. The fact is we’re by no means going to have much less soccer than we do now. Soccer as a cash making machine calls for increasingly, from golf equipment and the likes of UEFA and FIFA. If we’re going to criticise the expanded Champions League format and nonsense just like the Membership World Cup and all these pointless internationals as rising the calls for on gamers, then we’ve to acknowledge that golf equipment taking part in high-profile ‘friendlies’ in pre-season as cash making workout routines are a part of this too. There are components which can be worse than others, however that is one thing everybody who works within the recreation has some accountability in direction of.
It’s a dialogue we had on the Arsecast Additional yesterday, and the one actual resolution is larger squads. It’s one thing Mikel Arteta has stated greater than as soon as, as a result of he is aware of you may’t put the genie again within the bottle now. So, being pragmatic, a bigger squad is all you realistically ask. I feel it’s abundantly clear proper now that the present schedule asks an excessive amount of of the highest gamers within the 25 man squad period. Even with the flexibility to make use of extra subs, even with the enhancements in health/private coaching and so forth, the sport is asking an excessive amount of of them, and the unhappy actuality is that the gamers pay the value.
Golf equipment and followers will really feel like they endure too, which is truthful sufficient, however finally it’s the man whose ankle sprains, whose ACL ruptures, whose hamstring goes twang, that basically feels it. He’s the one who misses taking part in, he’s the one whose profession can take a left flip from one second on the pitch. Let’s not additionally ignore the truth that we would like top of the range soccer on a regular basis, and we’re asking gamers who’re being run into the bottom to carry out at a excessive degree in each single recreation, and that’s not reasonable both. The general high quality of the sport is one other consideration, if you wish to step again a bit.
So, all we are able to do that morning is hope that Odegaard’s harm isn’t as severe because it appears to be like, and that the gamers we’ve remaining on worldwide responsibility make it by way of their video games protected and sound. After that, how we’ve a severe dialog about all of that is past me, as a result of there are simply too many vested pursuits pulling in reverse instructions.
It has to occur although, it must occur quickly, however I gained’t maintain my breath. Until tomorrow.
