Odegaard exits match with suspected shoulder injury for Arsenal

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was forced off early in Saturday's Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium after appearing to aggravate a right shoulder injury, raising fresh fitness concerns for the club ahead of a congested run of fixtures. The 26 year old left the field in visible pain following a scramble in the Forest penalty area and was substituted in the 16th minute, with teenage forward Ethan Nwaneri coming on.

Television replays and match reports show Odegaard went to ground following a sliding challenge that involved Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber and Forest's Morgan Gibbs White. Some accounts described Timber's challenge as the primary contact while others described a more general collision in a multi-player challenge. Odegaard landed awkwardly on his right shoulder and signalled immediately that he could not continue.

The setback appears to be a recurrence of a shoulder problem Odegaard first suffered in Arsenal's 5-0 win over Leeds United on August 23, when he was forced off in the first half. He made a brief appearance as a substitute in the defeat at Liverpool and then featured for Norway over the international break, playing in a...