Following his deflected goal that gave Arsenal the equaliser against Manchester United, Theo Walcott has claimed that he is now fit enough to start more games for the Gunners and has admitted his desire to start the FA Cup final against Aston Villa at the end of the month. But considering the fact that Theo has been restricted to cameo appearances since his return from injury, does he actually have a chance of making Wenger’s starting lineup at Wembley?
Quite honestly, I think he should be given a run-out against Sunderland to see how he’s come along, and I believe that he actually deserves an opportunity after warming the Arsenal bench for quite a few months now. Santi Cazorla had a bad game by his usual standards at Old Trafford and I think the Spaniard will definitely benefit from a rest, which will help Ramsey move into midfield and bring Theo in to start on the right flank.
The Englishman has been very patient since his return from injury and I feel he should be rewarded with an opportunity to start the FA Cup final. Considering that Arsenal just need one more point to ensure automatic qualification for the Champions League, Arsene Wenger can afford to tweak the side a little bit. In addition, Sunderland’s defence, which consists of players like Wes Brown and John O’Shea, is not very equipped to deal with raw pace and Le Prof can duly take advantage by starting Alexis and Theo out wide.
Despite the fact that his injury kept him out for a year, Theo has been fit for quite some time now and as he rightfully pointed out, nothing will help his fitness more than a solid 90 minutes of football. While players returning from long-term injuries build their fitness on the training ground, they can regain their sharpness and reflexes only with game-time. With that being said, I certainly hope to see Theo Walcott start the remaining games for Arsenal and try and merit his inclusion in the Gunners’ starting eleven for the FA Cup final.
Anurag