Walcott’s return to the pitch is taking longer than expected.
Theo Walcott will be out for another fortnight, after the Arsenal forward suffered a setback from the abdominal surgery the Englishman had earlier in the season.
The 24-year-old will now miss the Gunners’ Champions League match with Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, the Premier League clash with Crystal Palace next weekend and then the League Cup encounter with London rivals Chelsea.
Walcott could be fit for the league game with Liverpool in two weeks time, although manager Arsene Wenger is unlikely to risk the attacker that soon and the tie with Manchester United a week later is a more likely target.
The England international had returned to training last week following an operation, but suffered a setback whilst running.
“He had to stop, to jog again – he is at least two weeks away now,” Wenger was quoted by the Telegraph.
It does mean that Walcott will be available for Roy Hodgson and the Three Lions’ pre-World Cup friendlies against Chile and Germany in November.
With Tottenham Hotspur winger Andros Townsend having been in such fine form for the nation in the qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland, the Arsenal man is no longer guaranteed a place.
Walcott will need to be fit to prove to Hodgson that the forward deserves a place ahead of Townsend in the team.
In fact even at club level the player may find a similar problem, with an attacking midfield three of Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere overwhelming Norwich City on Saturday.
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