Tottenham hold Martin Odegaard injury suspicions ahead of derby against Arsenal

Tottenham reportedly have doubts over the severity of Martin Odegaard’s injury, despite the Arsenal midfielder being seen on crutches this week.

The Gunners face a midfield crisis ahead of Sunday’s fiery north London Derby. After being given his marching orders in Arsenal’s stalemate with Brighton last month, Declan Rice misses out, while Mikel Merino is injured and Odegaard might also be on the unavailable list.

Merino faces about two months out following a fractured shoulder incurred during his first training session with the club, and Odegaard is tipped to be sidelined for three weeks after suffering an ankle during Norway’s match against Austria.

However, according to the Independent, insiders at Spurs harbour questions about how severe Odegaard’s condition truly is, contemplating if he could make an appearance in tomorrow’s derby.

Their scepticism arose after Arsenal delayed releasing information on the injury, even though scan findings would have been available as early as Wednesday.

Adding to the intrigue, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta played coy ahead of the derby. “We need some more tests”, he said. “Let’s see what happens in the next day or so. He is super positive about everything. Martin wants to be there every single day.

Arteta is reportedly considering a daring tactical switch-up for the upcoming clash, with injury concerns over Odegaard. The Gunners may adopt a more reserved approach against Tottenham, aiming to soak up pressure and strike on the break.

The potential shift in strategy would see Arsenal relinquish their usual 55-60% possession stats in favour of letting Spurs control the game, a move that could catch their rivals off guard.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have fitness updates of their own, with Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven tipped to make a return. However, Yves Bissouma’s availability remains uncertain after he suffered an injury during Mali’s recent match.

Ange Postecoglou said” “He [Bissouma] has got a bit of an issue, but we’ll have a look at him over the next couple of days and see how it settles.”

Spurs will also be without Richarlison, as Postecoglou confirmed the forward “still has a bit of work to do” before he’s back to peak condition.