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Theo Walcott believes Martin Odegaard 'needed a kick up the backside' and warned the Arsenal captain faces a battle to regain his place in Mikel Arteta's team.
Odegaard missed the thumping 4-1 victory over Tottenham on Sunday with a knee injury that has kept him out of action since October.
The Norwegian has effectively been replaced in the side by Eberechi Eze, who will be difficult to dislodge after his stunning hat-trick propelled the Gunners to a north London derby win.
Walcott said Odegaard would have been watching Eze's superb display with concern as he hopes to regain his place when he returns.
'What was really nice to see is when you have a bench celebrating that much as well,' Walcott said on It's Called Soccer on The Overlap US.
'They're all on the same page, they are, however, deep down, Martin Odegaard will be thinking: "Oh, this is tough!"
Martin Odegaard has been out of action since October but could return for Arsenal this week
Theo Walcott believes Odegaard needed a kick up the backside but said he may struggle to regain his place
Walcott however feels Eze's form while deputising for Odegaard will spur the Norwegian on.
'Sometimes you become a better player when you're injured sometimes, when you're losing games,' he added.
'But at this moment in time, he's becoming a worse player. And you can't forget how good Odegaard is, and that's the mad truth, but we'll see a side of Odegaard we've not seen.
'I think he's needed this kick up the backside, I'll be brutally honest.
'It will be brilliant for him because it's happened to Trossard and all of a sudden Trossard is someone different now so I think it'll do him good.
'Everyone is getting pushed right now at Arsenal now and we're in a good place, a better place, an incredible place.'
Odegaard was on the verge of making the squad for the Spurs game but is expected to make his long-awaited return against either Bayern Munich on Wednesday or at Chelsea on Sunday.
'We are going to have a meeting now to decide as well on Martin,' Arteta said.
'He was very close for the previous game. We are hopeful that tomorrow he can be in the squad as well.'
