It is pretty hard for an Arsenal fan to find any little scraps of positivity from the news that Danny Welbeck was not recovering properly from his injury and has had to have surgery to fix his knee problem, but as the international break is underway, there may be some good news for us from the England camp.
With Welbeck out and with Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane struggling for form and goals in the Premier League, there is a chance that the England manager might turn to Theo Walcott as a striker option and the more he plays there, the more comfortable he will be and the more likely he will be to start scoring. If Roy Hodgson pays any attention to his players, and more specifically to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, then he will definitely be thinking about Theo.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the Ox has been talking up his Arsenal and England team mate, declaring that Walcott is ready to prove himself as a central striker, just as he is currently trying do at club level. In fact the Ox reckons that Walcott should have been playing up front at international level for years.
Chamberlain said, “I think Theo has been ready for a number of years to play there. He’s someone I look up to and admire as a person and a player.
“His form for club and country in his long career proves why he’s is ready, his goalscoring record proves why he is ready to play up front.
“He is a great player and poses different threats than other strikers with his ability to run in behind.
“I have no doubt Theo can play up front – or in midfield as well.”
With Rooney needing just two more goals to become England’s highest ever goal scorer, I am sure Hodgson will start his captain but with a game against European minnows San Marino up first, England may well go with two up top -and it would be good news for Arsenal if that second striker was Theo.