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When will the Martin Odegaard of old arrive, Arsenal supporters have been wondering for some time.
Those piercing through-balls to break opposition lines, or the driving, jinking runs to get his team further up the pitch – their absence has been keenly felt throughout an injury-plagued season far from the heights Odegaard was once accustomed to.
Take his display at Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday, the ball often passed sideways or behind, along with limited success when he did get around the box. It’s all the more noticeable because of the magic we all know the Arsenal captain, and fulcrum of their best sides under Mikel Arteta, holds in his boots.
Yet he now finds himself at a crossroads. Scratching for form, trying to reach full fitness and fend off a hungry Eberechi Eze who has returned to training ahead of schedule after suffering a calf injury last month. Eze knows there could be a midfield spot there for the taking.
The quick turnaround even took Arteta by surprise. ‘My first conversation with him (Eze) after he felt that niggle, he wanted to be available the next week,’ he said.
‘We knew that was impossible, but the recovery, the will that he’s shown from day one to get back as quick as possible, how he’s pushed the medical staff and himself to be there (against Bournemouth on Saturday), it’s just great to watch.’
That’s not to say Odegaard isn’t still in Arteta’s main plans, even as he is about to enter the final two years of his contract – the point at which clubs like to make decisions on whether to renew a player’s deal or move on.
The Norwegian is the captain, after all, and deserves some leeway after a troublesome time with injury, suffering two knee issues and a shoulder problem.
The role Odegaard plays behind the scenes is highly valued by Arteta and staff. During his most recent injury lay-off, Daily Mail Sport understands he was busy around the training ground and on matchdays organising different elements.
That included participating in additional meetings with football staff and the leadership group, forming the link between staff and players. Team preferences on details like timings for meetings and rest are gathered by Odegaard and then voiced to the staff.
A source said that Odegaard’s role ‘is bigger than what people think on a matchday’, and it is these unseen aspects which are part of what he provides. So much so, Arteta’s backing of him was absolute when asked about his place in the team.
‘The team has missed him so much for what he brings,’ he said. ‘There’s some things that are probably unnoticed to the public… it’s profound within the team and the identity of this team.
‘So, we need him at his best. We need him constantly with us because we are a much better team when Martin is in and around the team.
‘He’s the one that connects everybody, that glides everybody together, that makes the team flow in a way that nobody else can do. And that’s a huge quality to have.
‘He’s the captain, he’s the leader, he’s the one that sets the tone in probably every phase of play for us. And he’s also such an intelligent person that he can adapt and modify the game when we need to in 10 seconds.’
Whether this season proves a temporary lull or the start of a genuine challenge to his place, the coming weeks will reveal if Odegaard can once again impose his rhythm on Arsenal’s midfield and remind supporters exactly why he became indispensable in the first place.