Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has become the latest injury victim for the England national team after it was revealed that the 23-year-old winger will be missing the friendly match against Italy that will take place on Wednesday. Roy Hodgson will have the chance to experiment with a number of new players, but he would have been hoping to have the Arsenal winger Theo Walcott in his team. Theo Walcott is coming on the back of an impressive season with Arsenal, which has led to rumours linking him with a move to the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool.
The winger has only one season left on his current contract and could leave on a free to the aforementioned clubs. Due to his age, Theo Walcott has become one of the most wanted free transfer in the market. The former Southampton winger has already stated that he would like to make his decision regarding his Arsenal future depending upon the decision of the star striker Robin van Persie. The Dutchman was recently sold to Manchester United for £ 24 million and it is expected that they Walcott will follow suit soon. A number of influential players will be missing for this friendly.
"Walcott reported with a slightly bruised thigh and was unable to train fully, so has returned to his club as a precaution," said a statement on the official English FA website. The England manager Roy Hodgson has previously stated that he would like to bring in many young faces into the national team before the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. However, he has also stated the importance of older players like Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick within the squad. Lampard is expected to be called up for the national team after missing out on the Euro 2012 due to injury.
