Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has refused to rule captain Martin Odegaard out of Sunday’s north London derby despite the midfielder picking up a brutal ankle injury on international duty with Norway.

Alarm bells began to ring for Arsenal fans after it was reported that the midfielder had sustained a serious injury during Norway’s clash with Austria. He limped off the pitch during the game and flew back to London to undergo further scans.

Diagnosed with at least a sprained ankle, Odegaard was given a minimum of three weeks to recover by Norway’s team doctor, suggesting that he would miss the next month of Premier League fixtures.

However, Arteta has refused to rule out the Gunners captain for Sunday’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur, stating that the team will have to ‘wait and see’.

“We need some more tests so let’s see what happens in the next day or so,” he told reporters. “This afternoon probably, and see what happens with the extent of the injury and how quickly we can get him back.

“He is super positive about everything, we know Martin, he wants to be there every single day, but we have to wait and see. With 48 hours until the game, players could always become available, but let’s see what happens.”

The Gunners will be without fellow midfielder Declan Rice on Sunday after the England international was shown a controversial red card during Arsenal’s draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.

New summer signing Riccardo Calafiori may also miss out after picking up a calf injury on international duty with Italy. Arteta refused to rule out the defender, but confirmed that the club need time before deciding if he will be fit in time to face Spurs.

Deadline day addition Raheem Sterling could make his debut on Sunday after switching from west to north London at the end of the summer transfer window.

Arteta continued: “[Sterling] looks great. First of all because he has a big smile on his face, a lot of energy. He’s at it and he wants to prove a point.”

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