The Arsenal and England international forward Theo Walcott looks set to be given his first start for his country since September 2013 tonight. The pacy 26-year old will be well aware that he needs to put on a good show tonight for the sake of his club career with the Gunners as well as his international one.
Just as at club level, it is the former Man United striker Danny Welbeck that Walcott needs tofight against for a place in the starting line up and it is the knee injury picked up by Welbeck during his Man of the Match performance in the Euro qualifier against Lithuania last week that has given Walcott a chance.
The Guardian has reported that England are set to make a few changes, some of them forced on Hodgson and some of them to counter Italy´s five man midfield. So Walcott will partner the in form Spurs striker Harry Kane in front of a midfield diamond and that should offer him a chance to show his pace, movement and finishing on the big stage.
If Theo does have a good game against the defensively strong and experienced Italy side then he would stand a good chance of being selected by Arsene Wenger for the Arsenal team for the Liverpool game on Saturday and that could be just what he needs to get his Arsenal career back on track, with rumours flying in the media about a possible transfer exit from the club this summer.
The pressure is on Theo but can he deliver?