Injured captain Odegaard missing for Arsenal in Champions League opener

Captain Martin Odegaard will miss Arsenal's opening Champions League game against Athletic Bilbao after joining the team's growing injury list. Odegaard was substituted after 17 minutes in the 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday after falling awkwardly on his right shoulder following a challenge.

The Norway midfielder took no part in training on Monday, and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta later said Odegaard didn't travel to Spain for Tuesday's game. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Ben White are also out injured but William Saliba, who was also sidelined from the win against Forest, is poised to feature after he joined his teammates at training.

Arsenal reached the Champions League semifinals last season, losing to eventual champion Paris Saint-Germain, and has still never won Europe's biggest prize.

Asked what he learned from last season's run, Arteta said: "That we are good enough and we can compete against any opposition on the day. And on top of that, that things have to go your way.”

The UEFA Champions League's main league phase, introduced in the 2024–25 season, features 36 teams in a single league table, replacing the traditional group stage. Each team plays 8 matches against different opponents (4 home, 4 away) using the Swiss model. The top 8 teams advance directly to the Round of 16. Teams ranked 9th to 24th enter a two-legged playoff to secure the remaining spots. The bottom 12 are eliminated. This format increases competition and match variety, ensuring every game is crucial for progression in Europe’s most prestigious club football tournament. The league phase runs from September 16, 2025, to January 29, 2026.