Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta explained Martin Odegaard's absence for their victory over Sheffield United.
Arteta admits it was a decision based on fatigue.
"We went through all the minutes that everybody has been the last three weeks and some of them they played an enormous amount of minutes," he said in his post-match press conference. "Martin has been as well carrying a little thing that wasn't very comfortable in the games. So we have players with enormous quality and we have to choose and we believe that it was the right day to do so."
However, the manager also said: "I think he has enjoyed a lot the last couple of weeks.
"They've been really good for the team and he's playing every game as you said, and yeah, he had a difficult period with the national team because it was a big blow for them what happened but this is football and he has to get on with that and he's a massive player for us."