Martin Odegaard Returns to Arsenal Training
Martin Odegaard is back in an Arsenal tracksuit, but not yet back under the floodlights.
The club captain reported to London Colney this week after his post-World Cup break, with Arsenal confirming his return to training via their official channels. While the rest of Mikel Arteta’s senior squad prepare in Dublin for Wednesday night’s friendly against Real Betis, Odegaard has begun his own quieter pre-season restart on the training pitches in Hertfordshire.
He will not feature against Betis. That was never really on the cards.
Arsenal’s approach has been clear. Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli only rejoined the group last week after Brazil’s World Cup exit and neither was thrown straight into the subsequent friendly against Girona. The pattern is deliberate: a few days to rebuild sharpness, then minutes. No shortcuts, no gambles.
Odegaard’s schedule fits neatly into that plan. Brazil’s World Cup ended on July 5, Norway’s on July 11, so the Norway international was always likely to return roughly a week after the two Gabriels. The timelines line up, and so does the club’s caution.
The knock-on effect is obvious. Arsenal’s remaining World Cup players, whose campaigns finished another seven or eight days later, are expected back by Thursday of next week. That leaves them racing the clock for the Community Shield on Sunday, August 16. On paper, there is barely time to build rhythm, let alone peak fitness, and expectations around their involvement are understandably low.
For Odegaard, the more realistic target sits closer to home.
By the time Borussia Dortmund arrive at the Emirates for the Emirates Cup this weekend, the captain should be ready for his first taste of pre-season action. Recent evidence hints at how Arsenal will manage those minutes. Against Girona, Piero Hincapie, Kai Havertz, and Viktor Gyokeres each played around half an hour as they eased into their own preparations.
That is the template. The Gabriels are likely to follow it on Wednesday. Odegaard, if all goes to plan, should do the same on Sunday.
The armband is back at London Colney. The next step is to carry it out at the Emirates again.
