Bad news for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal fans alike.

Arsenal have been dealt a major injury blow as Mikel Arteta has confirmed one of his star players has suffered ‘significant’ damage.

Arsenal open their Champions League campaign on Thursday when they face Atalanta.

They head into their European tie having beaten cross-town rivals Tottenham 1-0 last weekend.

The Gunners beat Spurs without Declan Rice, who was suspended, and Martin Odegaard, who picked up a knock on international duty.

And Odegaard faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines, according to Arteta, who said the Norwegian has ‘significant’ damage to his ankle following a scan.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Arsenal boss said: “After recent scans the scans showed that he’s got some damage especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle. It’s something quite significant so we’re going to lose him for a while.”

Martin Odegaard cuts an emotional figure after suffering a knock to his ankle. Image: Getty

On how the team will cope without Odegaard, he added: “He’s our captain. He’s been one of the biggest and best players in our team. Our identity is very linked to how he plays and behaves. It’s a big test for the team to see how able we are to show a different face.”

Odegaard played Arsenal’s opening three league games before linking up with his national team.

During Norway duty, however, he suffered an ankle knock.

The latest scans reveal the 25-year-old will be out for a ‘while’ in a huge blow to Arteta and Arsenal fans alike.

So, Odegaard will miss tomorrow’s Champions League clash as well as their crunch league showdown at Manchester City on Sunday.

He also appears set to miss matches against Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Inter Milan.