Date: 27th March 2015 at 6:00pm
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Theo Walcott’s apparent fall from grace has taken many by surprise. Once one of the first names on team sheet for both Arsenal and England, he now finds himself in a real battle on both fronts. Walcott has found himself frozen out of the picture at Arsenal following his latest long term knee injury, leaving many to believe he may now be on his way out.

To make matters worse for the 26 year old, his England boss Roy Hodgson has admitted that his position with Arsenal is affecting his position with the Three Lions. Speaking ahead of today’s match with Lithuania, Hodgson said Walcott must return to the pitch for Arsenal if he wishes to play a part in the England set up.

“He’s got to satisfy a few of his critics and, if you like, make certain that he stays fit and gets his place back as one of the first names on the Arsenal team sheet,” said Hodgson.

“When he does that, he might be pushing to be a first name on the England team sheet.”

In truth, Walcott was fortunate to receive a call up to the latest squad, having missed much football lately. Hodgson has a point, as the likes of Kane, Sterling, and fellow gunner Welbeck(amongst others) have all starred for their clubs and will surely be first choice to carry their form into international play.

This is a pivotal time for Walcott, and he has his work cut our for him. To be fair to him, a knee ligament injury is not the easiest of injuries to recover from, so patience is key.

He has recently denied reports of a riff with Arsene Wenger in training and also said contract extension talks have not begun just yet. He insists that he remains focused on doing a job for Arsenal, so fair play to him for keeping a positive attitude.

 

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