Mikel Arteta optimistic for early return of injured Martin Odegaard as Arsenal prepare for Spurs showdown

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has not completely dismissed the possibility of captain Martin Odegaard missing Sunday's crucial north London derby against Tottenham, despite concerns about the midfielder being out of action for an extended period.

Odegaard suffered an ankle sprain on international duty with Norway earlier this week that looked set to also rule him out of tough away trips to Atalanta in the Champions League and a Premier League visit to Manchester City on September 22.

However, Arteta, who signed a new three-year deal on Thursday, said further tests were needed to discover the extent of the injury.

"We need some more tests," said the Spaniard at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

"Let’s see the extent of the injury and how quickly we can get him back. Martin wants to be here every day but we have to wait and see. I leave that to the doctor. He’s willing and he wants to be present in every game. We need to make sure we know first how good he is or not.

"Players with 48 hours are always available. Let’s see what happens."

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Arsenal are already depleted in midfield for the north London derby due to Declan Rice's suspension for a harsh red card in a 1-1 draw with Brighton before the international break.

New signing Mikel Merino is also currently sidelined after breaking a bone in his shoulder.

However, Arteta could unleash another fresh face in Raheem Sterling, who joined in the final hours of the transfer window on loan from Chelsea.

The former England international had been outcast by Blues boss Enzo Maresca due to Chelsea's bloated squad.

Sterling previously worked with Arteta during their time together at Manchester City and the Gunners boss believes the winger is fired up to silence his critics.

"He looks great. First of all because he has a big smile on his face, a lot of energy. He's at it and he wants to prove a point," added Arteta. "When someone has got that in his belly you sense it straight away. Obviously, I don't need to discover anything about his quality and what he can bring to the team."

Gabriel Jesus has returned to training in a timely fitness boost for Arteta, but Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori is a doubt after picking up a calf injury on international duty.

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