Theo Walcott injured, Arsenal’s injury woes continue
A side that has been threatening to finally end its trophy draught since winning the FA Cup in 2005, Arsenal find themselves with a plus one to their already threatening injury list.
The Euro qualifier last night featured mixed emotions for English fans as the passage of play that led to the first goal for the Three Lions, which also saw Theo Walcott stretchered off in the buildup. The right sided winger had his standing leg clipped by Swiss defender Yves Oehri, twisting his ankle in the process. The situation looked tense for England and Arsenal fans alike, when Theo was stretchered off with his boot removed and his ankle in a support and taken directly to a hospital in Basel for a scan.
The effective substitution does not help matters for the England number 7 either as Adam Johnson made a prominent start, scoring the second goal for England. The Manchester City player has been in fine form and presents Fabio Capello with a slight selection dilemma for the next game.
However, the English manager played down any speculation that hinted at a long-term blow for Arsenal or England. Capello hinted after the game that the injury problem was merely a short-term set back.
"It's a little problem, but not a big problem. We will have to wait to see how it is.", was the initial uptake of the Italian.
Capello further eased down tensions after revealing his conversation with the Arsenal man.
"I spoke with Theo and he told me it is not a big problem. I said two weeks, he said less."
The short term extent of the injury might at least help Arsene Wenger breathe a sigh of relief. The Arsenal FC manager already had to suffer a major setback as Dutch striker Robin van Persie had to retire during the first half of the game against Blackburn. Scans revealed that the left-footer would be out for a minimum 6 weeks while another striking option in the form of Nicklas Bendtner is not expected to be back before the end of September who is out with a groin injury.
Theo Walcott, who can either play at the right hand side for Arsenal’s 4-3-3 combination or in a more central capacity as a striker, has been in blistering form for the Gunners, scoring a total of 4 goals – bringing him at par with the likes of Chelsea’s Didier Drogba for the leading goal scorers for this season. Marouane Chamakh, the signing from Bordeaux this season appears to be the only recognized striker who is fit for the Gunners at present and loosing Theo Walcott in whatever time capacity would be a blow to Arsenal.
For the sake of Arsenal and England fans, it is sincerely hoped that the youngster makes a speedy recovery.
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