This term, Odegaard has suffered with shoulder, muscle and knee issues which have seen him miss 17 games in total for his club.
A knee problem was again the issue in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brentford in February with Odegaard missing the next two games against Wigan Athletic and Wolves.
He made a brief return off the bench in the final 13 minutes of the north London derby against Tottenham.
Arsenal are still fighting on four fronts this season and after FA Cup action this weekend they head to Bayer Leverkusen for the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
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Odegaard has missed 17 games through injury this season (Picture: Getty)
Mikel Arteta’s side then host Everton before Leverkusen travel to north London for the return leg. The first silverware of the season will then be decided on 22 March with Arsenal and Manchester City colliding in the Carabao Cup final.
While Solbakken believes Odegaard will be back in time for the season run-in, he comments suggest the Arsenal captain could remain a doubt for the rest of March.
‘There is nothing serious about Martin,’ the Norway boss told Viaplay.
Odegaard expected to return in April, says his national team boss (Picture: Getty)
‘The most important thing is that he recovers completely and is good for us in the summer.
‘For those of us who care about the World Cup, it’s not a disaster that he’s getting some breaks now.
‘He’s going to rebuild and be crucial for Arsenal in April-May and maybe late March.’
Arsenal will hope to have Odegaard back as soon as possible with midfield options already being stretched with Mikel Merino out of the season.
Elsewhere, William Saliba picked up a knock that ruled him out of the Brighton game midweek.
The FA Cup fifth round takes centre stage (Picture: Getty)
The FA Cup continues this weekend with 16 clubs looking to progress past the fifth round and into the quarter-finals.
The long FA Cup weekend gets underway at Molineux on Friday night with Wolves hosting Liverpool, followed by six further matches on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
The pick of the ties is arguably Chelsea’s clash with Wrexham, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s Championship high-flyers hoping to write their own Hollywood script by knocking out Liam Rosenior’s men.
Last year’s runner up, Manchester City, head to St James’ Park to take on Newcastle in what is a repeat of the Carabao Cup semi-final from this season.
Premier League leaders Arsenal, meanwhile, will be keen to avoid an almighty upset when they travel to Nottinghamshire to play League One side Mansfield.
Which FA Cup games are on TV this weekend?
All eight FA Cup fifth round games will be shown on TV across the BBC, TNT Sports and discovery+.
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TNT Sports are the main rights holder for this year’s FA Cup, whilst the BBC are sharing 14 games with the broadcaster this season.
FA Cup fifth round fixtures
Friday, March 6
Wolves vs Liverpool (20:00) – BBC One, iPlayer, TNT Sports 1 and discovery+
Saturday, March 7
Mansfield Town vs Arsenal (12:15) – TNT Sports 1 and discovery+
Wrexham vs Chelsea (17:45) – BBC One, iPlayer, TNT Sports 2 and discovery+
Newcastle vs Manchester City (20:00) – TNT Sports 1 and discovery+
Sunday, March 8
Fulham vs Southampton (12:00) – TNT Sports 2 and discovery+
Port Vale vs Sunderland (13:30) – TNT Sports 1 and discovery+
Leeds vs Norwich (16:30) – TNT Sports 1 and discovery+
Monday, March 9
West Ham United vs Brentford (19:30) – TNT Sports 1 and discovery+
Are there replays in the FA Cup?
No, replays have not been in use in any of the full rounds of this season’s FA Cup.
Replays were scrapped by the FA for last year’s competition in an attempt to ease fixture congestion and the rules have remained the same for this season.
Any match that finishes level after normal time will head to extra-time and, if required, penalties.
Wrexham are eyeing a cup upset against Chelsea (Picture: Getty)
When is the FA Cup quarter-final draw?
The quarter-final draw will take place on Monday night during TNT Sports’ coverage of West Ham vs Brentford.
The quarter-final fixtures are scheduled for the weekend of Saturday, April 4.
Strap in, more VAR is on the way (Picture: Getty/Metro)
If there’s one thing all football fans can agree on, as we trundle through match after match of grappling and time-wasting, it’s that what we actually need are more rules.
That’s what the International Football Association Board have decided, anyway.
In an era of official club complaints, anger in the stands and frustration from players and managers alike, football’s lawmakers are introducing new rules to combat time wasting and give more power to VAR.
The rules will come into effect from July 1 across football, but also be in place for the start of this summer’s World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada in June.
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What changes are being made to stop time wasting?
After the relative success of this year’s new rule giving goalkeepers eight seconds to release the ball, throw-ins and goal kicks will now also have five second countdowns if the referee thinks a player is time wasting.
There is one difference between the new rules and the goalkeeper countdown, as a referee will only start one when they feel a player is time wasting, instead of immediately as is the case with goalkeepers.
The other change means anyone substituted will now have 10 seconds to get off the pitch – if they don’t the referee can delay their replacement coming on until the next stoppage in play.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler singled out Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya for time wasting by going to ground with an injury on more than one occasion during their match on Wednesday (Picture: Reuters)
How is VAR changing?
The new rules mean VAR will now be able to intervene in red cards that have resulted from an incorrect second yellow and corners that shouldn’t have been given.
Again, reasonable on paper, but do we really want to introduce more stoppages and opportunities for VAR to upset everyone with inconsistencies? Surely that’s what we should be avoiding.
But what do we fans know, after all? We’re not the experts, and a problem like this needs the best minds in football. Step up Pierluigi Collina – one of the most recognisable referees of all time and surely a credible voice of reason on issues like VAR and why nobody seems to like it.
Collina points out the ripped shirt of Sweden striker Kennet Andersson to Scotland defenders during a World Cup qualifier in 1996 (Picture Stu Forster/Allsport UK/Getty)
‘In Italy, we say that in every wonderful marriage, there is a crisis after seven years,’ said the 2002 World Cup final referee. ‘So it might be possible that people fell in love with VAR, and then after some years, as with your wife, you have a small crisis.’
Sorry Pierluigi, this one feels more like an arranged marriage doomed for failure from day one.
Full list of football's rule changes
These are the new rules that will come into effect ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Throw-ins and goal kicks
If the referee considers that a throw-in or goal kick is taking too long or being deliberately delayed, a five-second visual countdown will be initiated. If the ball is not in play at the end of the countdown, the throw-in will be awarded to the opposing team while a delayed goal kick will result in a corner kick being awarded to the opponents.
Time-limited substitutions
Substituted players must leave the field of play within ten seconds of the substitution board being displayed or, where there is no substitution board, of the referee’s signal. Should the player fail to leave within this time, they must still exit the field but the substitute will not be permitted to enter until the first stoppage after one minute (running clock) has elapsed following the restart.
Off-field treatment and assessment
Any time a player receives on-field assessment for an injury, or their injury causes play to be stopped, they will be required to leave the field of play and remain off it for one minute once play has restarted.
Video assistant referees
VAR will now be permitted to assist the referee in relation to:
Red cards arising from a clearly incorrect second yellow card
Mistaken identity, when the referee penalises the wrong team for an offence that results in a red or yellow card being shown to the wrong player
A clearly incorrectly awarded corner kick, provided that the review can be completed immediately and without delaying the restart
What about Arsene Wenger? Surely one of football’s best thinkers has some sort of solution for us… How about a change in the offside law?
The former Arsenal boss has proposed a ‘daylight’ rule, meaning that an attacker is only offside if there is a gap between them and the last line of defence.
Offside? Not under Wenger’s rule (Picture: UEFA/Getty)
It’s a move that brings the law back towards giving the attacker the benefit of the doubt, but the issue is that light is famously good at getting through even the smallest of cracks. In reality, it will just lead to the lines being drawn in a different place.
This change has been granted a trial in Canada, so it could be a while before it comes into effect across the world. However, Wenger has been pushing for the change since joining Fifa in 2019, so we can expect any success in the trial to please him.
The obvious solution here is to get rid of the whole thing. Sure, before VAR we all argued over refereeing decisions but at least we could celebrate goals and get home on time.
Football is supposed to be a simple game – adding more rules will just add to the feeling that a team now needs to apply for planning permission to score.
City were denied the chance to put the game to bed when Erling Haaland appeared to be clipped by Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels. VAR reviewed the incident with no penalty awarded with Elliot Anderson scoring the equaliser minutes later.
Silva blasted the decision, also suggesting referee Darren England awarded ’50-50s against us’.
‘We’re quite used to it this season,’ Silva told TNT Sports. ‘All the 50-50s have gone against us. It’s the reality. I’ve just watched the Erling incident. For me, it’s a penalty.
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Haaland was denied a penalty (Picture: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
‘Some people might argue a different opinion. What can Erling do? We’re used to it this season. We know how it works. Our job is just to be better, because we cannot control these things.
‘What we can control is our own performances, and that is what we need to focus on.’
Guardiola meanwhile was reluctant to be drawn on the controversy.
Guardiola kept quiet on the incident (Picture: Getty)
‘I spoke weeks ago about that subject,’ the City boss said.
‘I always believe that we have to do it much better so the officials don’t intervene. It’s our responsibility to do it better, we don’t have to rely on them.
Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri missed the decisive spot-kick as Marseille crashed out of the Coupe de France (Picture: FS2)
Marseille head coach Habib Beye jumped to Ethan Nwaneri’s defence after the forward’s penalty miss against Toulouse, praising the youngster for having the ‘personality’ to step up in the shootout.
Beye’s side enjoyed a dream start to Wednesday’s thrilling Coupe de France quarter-final clash as Mason Greenwood opened the scoring from the spot inside only two minutes.
Igor Paixao restored Marseille’s advantage after Yann Gboho had levelled for Toulouse, only for the visitors the equalise again through Charlie Cresswell on the hour-mark.
The two sides could not be separated for the remaining 30 minutes, setting the stage for a nail-biting penalty shootout at the Stade Velodrome, with a place in this year’s semi-finals on the line.
Aron Donnum made no mistake with Toulouse’s opening spot-kick before ex-Manchester United attacker Greenwood returned the favour with a cool strike beyond Geronimo Rulli.
But after Gboho, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Djibril Sidibe all succeeded, there were a pair of misses from Leonardo Balerdi and Cristian Casseres as the nervousness ratcheted up inside the stadium.
Nayef Aguerd and Pape Demba Diop both scored their penalties meaning it came down to Nwaneri to hold his nerve from 12 yards, but the 18-year-old skied his effort over the crossbar to send Toulouse through to the semi-finals.
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Toulouse prevailed to book their place in the semi-finals (Picture: Getty)
Marseille’s long wait for a trophy goes on (Picture: Getty)
A teary Nwaneri, who joined Marseille on loan from Arsenal in January, appeared inconsolable as team-mates and coaching staff joined in putting an arm around his shoulder to show their support.
‘That’s a story for another time,’ Beye said when asked about Marseille’s order of penalty takers as the club squandered a shot at their first piece of silverware since 2012.
‘I’m not going to have a big discussion about it because what I like is the personality of a player who decides to go for it.
‘When we discussed it, we were very, very clear about the shooting order. And so, they went for it, and I respect that personality.
Ethan Nwaneri skies his penalty and Toulouse eliminate Marseille from the Coupe de France ‼️ pic.twitter.com/KbGPE8u8wO
‘Then there’s the story of the game. Unfortunately for Leo [Balerdi] and Ethan [Nwaneri], they missed.’
Beye said it was ‘unfortunate’ that Balerdi and Nwaneri were not able to execute the ‘technical skill’ as they would have hoped in the moment.
‘They’re the ones most affected tonight, but that’s how it is,’ he added.
‘It’s simply unfortunate that this technical skill that, at that moment in the game and at that moment in the competition, was not mastered.’
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There was some confusion as to why Marseille winger Paixao was not used in the shootout after his earlier goal – but Beye confirmed the Brazilian was experiencing ‘cramps’ and fatigue.
‘There’s been talk of it being a lottery, but I truly believe it’s a technical skill,’ Beye continued.
‘Players who have mastered that skill and feel confident should accept that this order is in place.
‘As for Igor [Paixao], when I asked him, he had cramps and was therefore very tired, which is why he was taken off.’
Marseille’s squad must ‘accept the disappointment’, says Beye (Picture: Getty)
The Marseille manager went on: ‘It’s simply about taking responsibility.
‘I believe I never judge a player who misses a penalty because you have to take the responsibility to step up.
‘They took theirs and unfortunately we missed out in that regard.’
Marseille’s last trophy win came 16 years ago when Loic Remy’s goalscoring exploits inspired the club to win the now defunct Coupe de la Ligue.
On Marseille’s dream of a first title since 2012 vanishing, Beye said: ‘The disappointment is as great as the hopes that were placed in us for this match and the Coupe de France campaign.
‘When you have the opportunity in two matches to reach a final… you had to win this one first.
‘So, the disappointment is as great as the hopes that were placed in us, and we have to accept it. That’s what I told my players.
‘In this situation, we have to look ahead, face the challenge, and accept the anger, the disappointment, and the sadness of our supporters who were with us throughout the match and during the penalty shootout.’
Wednesday’s other quarter-final was also decided on penalties, with Nice getting the better of Lorient in a tense shootout.
A day earlier, Strasbourg secured their place in the semi-finals with a 2-1 win over last year’s runners-up Reims.
Lyon and Lens will battle it out for the last remaining semi-final spot at Groupama Stadium this evening.
