William Saliba is hoping that Arsenal can keep Martin Odegaard fit for the remainder of the season after his instant impact on Arsenal’s form.
The Norwegian missed two months between September and November due to an ankle injury. During this time Arsenal won just five out of 10 matches in the Premier League and Champions League.
Since Odegaard’s return to the starting line up earlier this month though, the Gunners have flipped that form on it’s head, winning two out of three matches and scoring nine in the process. Odegaard himself has shown no signs of rustiness after such a long layoff, grabbing an assist in each of his three starts since his comeback.
His impact has just about kept Arsenal clinging on by their finger nails in this season’s title race. The Gunners are still nine points behind Liverpool, and for Saliba, they cannot afford to lose Odegaard for any longer if they are to close that gap.
“It is a bit different [when he is here] as he is one of the best players in the world,” the French defender said after Tuesday’s 5-1 win over Sporting CP. “We are so happy to have him back. We are better with him, I hope he doesn’t get injured again. We have to enjoy playing with him. You can see we are better with him.
“He is a top professional, so he worked hard at the training ground. I’m not surprised that he came back like this but it is not easy when you haven’t played for four weeks to come back at this level. He is a top professional.
