Odegaard was caught by a heavy tackle from former Man City midfielder Bernardo Silva during Norway’s 2-1 loss to Portugal
By Kehinde Okeowo
Norway assistant coach and team manager, Brede Hangeland, has provided an update on Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard’s injury, saying he will play in their UEFA Nations League encounters against Wales and Portugal.
He made this known ahead of their match against Wales on Thursday while speaking with TV2.
Norway lost 2-1 to Portugal on Sunday evening, though post-match discussions centred on Bernardo Silva’s mistimed challenge on Odegaard during the closing stages of the match.
The Arsenal playmaker collected the ball near his own penalty area and passed it to a teammate. However, he was caught by a heavy tackle from the former Manchester City midfielder.
Odegaard, following the challenge, showed visible discomfort in the final moments of the match and later criticised Bernardo, saying: “This conduct is inappropriate for professional football.
“It is regrettable that individuals conduct themselves in this manner. He completely lost control. He delivered a kick long after I had released the ball. I cannot comprehend his actions.”
Norway will face Wales on Thursday before confronting Portugal once more on Sunday evening in what promises to be a fierce Nations League contest in Porto.
Odegaard was not expected to participate in first-team training on Tuesday, but Hangeland delivered an encouraging assessment of the Gunners captain, expressing optimism about his availability for both matches this week.
He said: “He is progressing well. He demonstrated considerable improvement compared to yesterday, so we shall see.
“In this world, two and a half days are an eternity, so it could get dramatically better until then.
“I think it will be a quiet session for him today. That is up to him to decide.”
Asked if Odegaard could be involved in Thursday’s and Sunday’s games, Hangeland replied: “Sure.”
Odegaard’s teammates, meanwhile, have not forgotten what happened in Oslo on Sunday, and some are not ruling out the possibility of revenge against Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva.
Asked if the Norway players would be seeking to exact some revenge on Bernardo, Patrick Berg told VG: “We’ll have to wait and see. I can say that I’m looking forward to the match, at least. A player coming and kicking our captain could set things off a bit. It could.”
Also asked if there are plans to retaliate against Bernardo Silva, Bologna defender Torbjørn Heggem said: “At least, it’s not something you can say outwardly.
“I haven’t thought much about it. It was a bad tackle, and, of course, we want to support our captain, but a revenge tackle is rarely something you resort to.”
