Premier League: Arteta Declares Odegaard Unfit for Wolves Clash
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Synopsis
Arsenal's captain Martin Odegaard is absent from the squad to face Wolves due to illness. Mikel Arteta has made five changes to the team, emphasizing player rotation for the Premier League match at Molineux Stadium.
Key Takeaways
- Odegaard is out with sickness.
- Gabriel takes over as captain.
- Saliba returns from injury, boosting defense.
- Arteta rotates half of the squad.
- Nwaneri makes a starting appearance after midweek play.
Wolverhampton, Jan 25 (NationPress) Arsenal's captain Martin Odegaard has been excluded from the squad for the match against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium on Saturday due to illness. He is one of five players changed in the lineup from the victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday, as Mikel Arteta opts to rotate a significant portion of his outfield players for this Premier League clash.
Both Mikel Merino and Odegaard are absent, allowing Gabriel to captain the team for his 199th appearance with the North London club.
Just before kick-off, Arteta stated, "Martin was ill this morning and we had to send him back -- he was nowhere near fit to play. Mikel also missed out due to a knock sustained yesterday in training."
William Saliba returns to the starting eleven against Wolves after being sidelined for two matches with a minor injury, which is a significant advantage for the team. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, Arsenal has allowed only 0.8 goals per game with Saliba starting, in contrast to 1.7 when he is absent. The Gunners have managed just two clean sheets in the 13 matches where the Frenchman hasn’t played.
Myles Lewis-Skelly is back at left-back after missing the previous match, and fellow Hale End graduate Ethan Nwaneri makes his first start since netting against Brighton early this year, having appeared as a substitute against Dinamo midweek. Thomas Partey and Leandro Trossard are the other two players rejoining the squad after coming on as substitutes on Wednesday.
Line-ups:
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Nwaneri, Trossard, Martinelli, Havertz.
Wolves: Jose Sa, Doherty, Agbadou, Bueno, Ait-Nouri, Andre, Nelson Semedo, Joao Gomes, Sarabia, Strand Larsen, Matheus Cunha.
