“I’ve seen it for a while” - Martin Odegaard says he is proud of ‘intelligent’ Arsenal teammate

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard gave a glowing verdict of Bukayo Saka prior to the winger's performance in a 3-1 win against Burnley on Saturday (November 11).

Saka provided an assist for Leandro Trossard's opener in the victory against the Clarets. He has started this season superbly with six goals and eight assists in 17 games across competitions.

The 22-year-old even wore the captain's armband in Odegaard's absence in a 5-0 win against Sheffield United on October 28. The Norweigan has been sidelined through injury and his English teammate stepped up into a leadership role.

Odegaard isn't surprised to see Saka impressing as a leader and he feels the speedy attacker has added yet another quality to his game. He told Arsenal's official website:

"Bukayo took the armband for that game – the first time he’s been Arsenal captain I think (5-0 win against Sheffield United) – and we can all see that he is adding leadership to his long list of qualities."

He added:

"I’ve seen it for a while to be honest, I’m not surprised he’s developing like this."

Odegaard continued by alluding to Saka's determination to always be available for the Gunners. The England international was a doubt to face Burnley but made a miraculous return to Mikel Arteta's starting XI:

"He’s so intelligent, he’s always available, he gives everything for the team and he’s taking more and more responsibility on and off the pitch. He really deserves to be there as one of the captains, I’m proud of him and happy to have him as a teammate, because he’s a great player and also a great person."

Saka rose through the youth ranks at Arsenal before making his debut in 2018. He's since been a protagonist for the Gunners, bagging 44 goals and 48 assists in 196 games.

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Arsenal captain Odegaard could reportedly be back following the international break

Odegaard has sat out Arsenal's last four games across competitions due to a hip problem. However, Arteta could be able to call upon his skipper following the international break.

The former Real Madrid midfielder's last appearance came in a 3-1 defeat to West Ham United in the Carabao Cup (November 1). He failed a fitness test ahead of a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United.

Arteta gave an update on Odegaard ahead of the victory over Burnley. He said (via The Evening Standard):

"I don't know. I am going to have a meeting now with the medical department and Edu to understand everyone's situation but I think he is going to be back after the international break."

A likely return date for the Norway international is the north Londoners' visit to the Gtech Community Stadium to face Brentford. That clash takes place on November 25, giving Odegaard plenty of time to get back to full fitness.