Martin Ødegaard, the captain of Arsenal, is on track to make his return in Wednesday’s highly-anticipated UEFA Champions League match against Bayern Munich.
The Norwegian midfielder has been out of action since early October due to a knee injury, but he is eager to rejoin the squad at the Emirates Stadium.
Manager Mikel Arteta mentioned, “He was very close to participating in the last game, so we are hopeful that he can be included in the squad tomorrow.”
This matchup features the top two teams in the Champions League standings, both with perfect records of four wins from four matches, set to clash in north London.
Arsenal enters the game riding high after their impressive 4-1 victory over Tottenham last Sunday.
“We need to bring that same energy to the stadium tomorrow and ensure that each player performs with the same level of dominance, aggression, and efficiency against a top-tier team,” Arteta added.
“This is the type of match we look forward to in this competition, and we have maintained a strong level of consistency. Bayern has too, and this will be a great opportunity for us to gauge our current standing.”
“Each opponent poses unique challenges. They are enjoying a fantastic run at the moment, showcasing remarkable consistency in their results and performances across various metrics. We acknowledge that,” he concluded. “However, we also see this as a massive opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities.”
So far this season, Arsenal has not conceded a goal in the Champions League, but full-back Jurriën Timber acknowledges the immense task ahead in containing former Tottenham striker Harry Kane.
The England captain has netted 15 times in 21 encounters against Arsenal, notably scoring for Bayern in their quarter-final first leg at the Emirates last season.
Timber has been instrumental in enhancing the Premier League leaders’ strong defensive record both at home and in Europe this year, and he is looking forward to the challenge of marking Kane.
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Timber praised Kane, stating, “He’s an incredible striker that everyone respects. He possesses numerous qualities, and his longevity in performing at such a high level is impressive. Now at Bayern Munich, he’s among the world’s elite players. It’s going to be an exciting challenge for us as a team and as defenders to stop him tomorrow.”