Why Martin Odegaard Is Not Playing for Arsenal vs. Fulham
The welcome sight of Bukayo Saka back in Arsenal's starting lineup for Saturday's meeting with Fulham was countered by the absence of captain Martin Ødegaard.
Ødegaard only returned from a knee injury in late April and started the team's last three games across all competitions, completing 90 minutes in the first two before being withdrawn shortly before the hour mark in the 1–1 draw with Atlético Madrid.
Fears were sparked by the sight of him trudging off the pitch in midweek, with his absence on Saturday only adding to the concerns.
Why Martin Ødegaard Is Not in Arsenal's Matchday Squad
"Let's see," was all the predictably cryptic Mikel Arteta offered when asked about Ødegaard's involvement before the game.
Reports suggest knee discomfort was behind Ødegaard's withdrawal against Atlético, which is a significant concern given the Norway international has only just returned from a knee problem that forced him to miss over a month of action.
This is actually the third knee injury of the season for Ødegaard, who missed nearly two months across October and November. Whether any are linked has not been made public.
All in all, this is the seventh injury of the season for Ødegaard, who has struggled horribly with fitness problems and has been restricted to just 15 Premier League starts.
Fifteen players have managed more minutes than Ødegaard for Arsenal this season, including Eberechi Eze, who takes his place in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Fulham.
Ødegaard: Arsenal on Cusp of Something Big
Ødegaard conducted a lengthy interview for the matchday program for Saturday's game, offering no suggestions that he would not be fit enough to play.
Instead, the captain chose to focus on the atmosphere around Arsenal as the team continue to fight for major silverware in the late stages of the season.
"Since the final whistle on Wednesday we've been looking forward to today's game and concentrating on how we can get the three points," he wrote.
"The energy is great at the training ground right now. I think everyone is feeling that we're close to something really big and that gives you a bit of extra energy and extra fire every day in your work.
"We got a good result last weekend in our last game here at Emirates Stadium against Newcastle. It was an intense, tough game and the main thing was always to get the win and we managed that well. It's always tough to play against Newcastle, they are a very physical and organised side. Obviously they have quality as well, so there's going to be periods where they have the ball, but I thought we did well to get over the line and take another three points in a big game.
"At this stage of the season it's great to be able to rely on our defensive record, so it was important to keep another clean sheet. That's a big strength we have-we know that we're so solid at the back and the clean sheet is always big in this league because it gives you a great chance of winning the game. That's what happened last weekend.
"Obviously we would like to have scored a few more goals, but the main thing was to get the win and we got that."
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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 11:45 AM.