Odegaard on derby day and his injury status

Every home game, Martin Odegaard gives you his thoughts on the goings-on around the club in his captain’s notes column for the matchday programme. 

Ahead of today's north London derby, you can read a snippet of his latest column which includes his feelings on derby day, and an injury update:

I’ve played in a few of these derby games now, they are always so special, and I know how much it means to everyone around the club and the supporters.

The whole week is special. You feel it around the club, around the building and everyone is preparing for it, knowing something special is coming. And right now, with both teams up at the top, there’s even more on the game. I’m expecting a great fight, and one that we need to win in front of our own supporters.

I have some good memories of this game, I scored my first Premier League goal in the derby a couple of years ago, but that was in an empty stadium and I would love to have that feeling in front of our supporters.

I got a kick on my calf in the week before the Brentford game, and was struggling a bit with it beforehand, and I had to leave some of the training sessions. Then the last session before the game, I had to go out again because it was too sore.

So I stayed here for a few days after the game to do some rehab and all the scans, and everything was fine so I joined up with the national team and I was able to play twice for Norway. I feel fine now.

Read the rest of Odegaard’s notes, as well as a host of other fantastic content, by buying a copy of the Arsenal v Tottenham programme either around the stadium or online, and you can also purchase a seasonal subscription to get every issue through your door.