Leandro Trossard has already made feelings clear as Arsenal suffer Martin Odegaard blow

Leandro Trossard has signalled he’s ready to step into Martin Odegaard’s shoes at Arsenal following the club captain’s distressing injury on international duty. Odegaard was visibly upset as he left the pitch during Norway’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League win over Austria, suggesting he’ll join Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Gabriel Jesus, and Takehiro Tomiyasu on the Arsenal sidelines.

Yet Trossard is more than happy to fill the creative void left by his captain. Since his arrival in North London in 2023, the Belgian has been deployed out wide and as a false nine, but he has openly expressed his desire to operate in Odegaard’s preferred No10 role, per The Mirror.

Upon signing for the Gunners, Trossard addressed the versatility of his game and said: “It helps me that I’m versatile and that I can play in different positions. They’re looking forward to working with me and vice versa. I’m really excited to work with them and I think Mikel is a top coach.

“I like to be in the pocket behind the striker. On the wings, I can explore myself as well. I’m comfortable in either of those positions but if I were to choose, behind the striker – but it all depends on the system.”

Arteta faces a tactical headache ahead of Sunday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the season’s first north London derby. With a string of early injuries and key midfielder Declan Rice suspended following his red card in the recent draw with Brighton, the Gunners’ midfield options are limited.

Yet, Trossard appears ready to step into Odegaard’s shoes after admitting the attacking-midfielder role is his ideal position, suggesting Arsenal could cope without significant disruption. Despite Odegaard’s seemingly irreplaceable role at Emirates Stadium, Trossard has shown himself to be incredibly dependable, regardless of where he plays on the pitch.

Arsenal have already slipped up against Trossard’s old club and face an early examination of their title credentials. There were high hopes this would be the season they outdo Manchester City, but Odegaard’s injury is another hurdle for Arteta’s squad to summit.

The timing couldn’t be worse, with Arteta’s side set to kick off their Champions League journey against Atalanta before a crucial clash with City. The extent of Odegaard’s injury remains uncertain, but Norway manageStale Solbakken’s comments after Monday’s setback sounded worrying.

“It looked bad in the dressing room too,” said his national team coach. “He didn’t have the nerve to continue. It is not certain that Arteta will call me tonight and praise me.”

Norway medical expert Ola Sand also provided an update on Odegaard’s injury after the match. He told Norwegian broadcaster TV 2: “He got a small ankle sprain. We will see, maybe we use ultrasound to look at it. If we are unsure, there will be an MRI tomorrow.”