Sawt Falasteen - Haaland captains Norway with Odegaard still 'a long way' from playing

Odegaard, who twisted his left ankle on September 9 in Oslo during a match against Austria in the Nations League, was unsurprisingly absent from the squad who will host Slovenia in Oslo on October 10 before travelling to Linz to face Austria three days later.

The 25-year-old's injury will also affect Arsenal, who play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday.

"He (Odegaard) is a long way from being able to play," the Norwegian FA said in a statement.

"But he may turn up during the preparations to be with the team," it added.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said last month that scans showed "there was some damage, especially in one of the ligaments in the ankle".

Last Tuesday, Arteta said "it will be a matter of weeks" before Odegaard returns.

After two matches, Norway are second in Group B3 of the Nations League behind Slovenia.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Mathias Dyngeland (Brann), Orjan Nyland (Sevilla/ESP), Egil Selvik (FK Haugesund)

Defenders: Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford/ENG), Torbjorn Heggem (West Brom/ENG), Sondre Langas (Viking FK), Andreas Hanche-Olsen (Mainz/GER), Marcus Holmgren Pedersen (Sassuolo/ITA), Julian Ryerson (Borussia Dortmund/GER), David Moller Wolfe (Alkmaar/NED) Leo Ostigard (Rennes/FRA)

Midfielders: Patrick Berg (Bodo/Glimt), Sander Berge (Fulham/ENG), Aron Donnum (Toulouse/FRA), Jens Petter Hauge (Bodo/Glimt), Felix Horn Myhre (Brann), Antonio Nusa (RB Leipzig/GER), Morten Thorsby (Genoa/ITA), Kristian Thorstvedt (Sassuolo/ITA), Hugo Vetlesen (Club Bruges/BEL)

Forward: Erling Haaland (Manchester City/ENG), Jorgen Strand Larsen (Wolverhampton Wanderers/ENG), Alexander Sorloth (Atletico Madrid/ESP)

W.AbuLaban--SF-PST