Odegaard hit with ankle knock after 'crazy' late challenge

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Martin Odegaard was left limping and furious after a late off-the-ball challenge from Bernardo Silva during Norway's 2-1 home defeat to Portugal.

The Arsenal captain had already released the ball when the Portugal midfielder, who had only been introduced in the 87th minute, caught him from behind in midfield. Odegaard reacted immediately, exchanging words with Silva before continuing the match visibly uncomfortable.

Odegaard: 'It has no place on a football pitch'

Speaking to Norwegian broadcaster TV2 afterwards, Odegaard confirmed he had taken a blow to the ankle but did not sound overly concerned about the longer-term impact.

"I took a knock on the ankle. It probably won't be great tonight, but I bet it will be fine in the next few days," he said, in quotes relayed by Maisfutebol.

The Norway captain was far less forgiving about the challenge itself. "It's crazy on his part. He just hits me from behind long after I had passed the ball. I don't understand what he was trying to do," Odegaard said.

Asked what he had said to Silva in the immediate aftermath, Odegaard declined to repeat it. "I don't think I should say it on television," he replied.

He added: "You have to ask him why. I don't know what he was trying to do, but it has no place on a football pitch. It's a shame that people do that, but that's life." Odegaard also stated that Silva did not apologise for the incident.

Schjelderup joins the criticism

Odegaard was not the only Norwegian unhappy with the challenge. Benfica winger Andreas Schjelderup, who started the match, felt the referee had missed something significant.

"It's an ugly foul from behind. It's borderline, but unfortunately the referees can't see everything," Schjelderup told TV2.

No card was shown for the incident, and the game finished with Portugal taking all three points on the road in a fiercely contested 2-1 win.

What it means for Arsenal

For Arsenal supporters, the immediate concern is straightforward enough: their captain picked up a knock on international duty and finished the match limping. Odegaard's own assessment suggests the ankle should settle within days, though the club will monitor his condition once he reports back to London Colney.

The Norwegian's fitness has been a recurring storyline in recent seasons, and any ankle issue involving Odegaard inevitably attracts attention given how central he is to how Mikel Arteta's side builds play in the final third.

There has been no official update from Arsenal on the matter at the time of writing, and the club typically wait until players return from international duty before assessing any knocks.

Attention will now turn to whether Odegaard is back in full training when Arsenal's squad reassembles.