Christoph Baumgartner has publicly apologised to Martin Odegaard after the Arsenal captain was forced to miss an international match with an injury.
Norway hosted Austria in a Nations League clash on Monday, with former Man United midfielder Marcel Sabitzer scoring the equaliser after Felix Horn Myhre put the home side ahead.
With the score still level in the second half, Baumgartner started with a foul on Odegaard, which required treatment on the field.
The midfielder had to be helped off the pitch after the tackle and was later photographed using crutches, raising concerns about the severity of his injury.
Erling Haaland scored the winning goal for Norway in the closing stages of the match at the Ullevaal Stadium, but concerns immediately arose over Odegaard’s condition after the final whistle.
Christoph Baumgartner apologised to Martin Odegaard after the Arsenal captain was forced off with an injury
Odegaard had to be helped off the field during the Nations League match between Norway and Austria
Baumgartner apologized on social media and sent his best wishes to the midfielder
After the match, Baumgartner apologized on social media for his part in the incident and wished the 25-year-old player the best of luck in his recovery.
“Hello everyone! I would like to sincerely apologize to Martin Odegaard,” he wrote on his Instagram story.
“It was never my intention to injure this fantastic player. I wish him all the best and a speedy recovery! Come back stronger”
The injury means Odegaard could be unavailable when Mikel Arteta’s side travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday for the first derby of the season in north London.
The news is a major setback for the Spaniard, who will already be without Declan Rice for the match after a Premier League’s Key Match Incidents review upheld his controversial red card against Brighton.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta now faces a midfield dilemma ahead of Sunday’s North London derby
Leandro Trossard could be deployed in midfield to plug the gap, allowing Raheem Sterling to play in an Arsenal shirt for the first time since joining Chelsea on loan on the final day of the competition.
Since joining Arsenal permanently in the summer of 2021, Odegaard has missed just six Premier League games for the Gunners.