Martin Odegaard on crutches as Arsenal star flies to London for crucial scans

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was spotted on crutches as he boarded a plane to London, where he will undergo scans to determine the severity of his suspected ankle injury.

The 25-year-old was in tears and had to be helped on the pitch in the 67th minute of Norway’s Nations League match with Austria after a strong challenge by Christoph Baumgartner.

The playmaker’s foot got stuck in the turf and he received treatment on the pitch before being substituted off, as Erling Haaland attempted to console his upset team-mate.

Norway boss Stale Solbakken explained that the injury “looked bad” which prompted fears over Odegaard’s participation not only in Sunday’s north London derby, but going forward for the Gunners.

And Norwegian outlet VG snapped a photo of Odegaard on crutches as he boarded a private plane back to England. He could be seen going backwards onto the jet, joined by his pregnant wife and their dog.

Odegaard will undergo an MRI scan to find out the extent of the damage, confirmed by Norway national team doctor Ola Sand.

Sand explained: “He is on his way to London and will have an MRI there later today.” When asked for an initial prognosis, the doctor replied: “Nothing but a strong overstepping and that we await what Arsenal find.”

Odegaard potential injury comes at an unfortunate time for Mikel Arteta, who could head into Sunday’s trip to Tottenham without his skipper, Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori.

Rice is suspended after his red card last time out against Brighton, while Merino has to wait to make his debut due to a shoulder injury sustained in his first Arsenal training session, causing him to miss the next few weeks.

Similar to Odegaard, Calafiori also picked up an injury on international duty as a calf issue caused the defender to be sent home to London for further assessment.

If Odegaard is set for a spell on the sidelines, Arteta will be forced to shuffle his midfield ahead of three away games in the space of a week against Spurs, Atalanta and Manchester City.