Theo Walcott hardly looked like a man being carried
towards one of the lowest points in his career - and
another chapter in his cursed World Cup history - as
he was taken off on a stretcher at Emirates Stadium
on Saturday.
Walcott collapsed in agony as he attempted to
tackle Danny Rose in the closing minutes of
Arsenal's 2-0 FA Cup third-round victory against
Tottenham.
As he departed, however, he was in high enough
spirits to remind Spurs fans of the score after being
pelted with objects from the away section - and
also to acknowledge the acclaim of Gunners
supporters who tossed scarves in his direction with
smiles and waves.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, perhaps burying
bad news or simply unaware of the seriousness of
the incident, only offered up the possibility of a
stretched ligament or ever the lesser problem of a
kick on the knee.
So there was widespread shock when it was
announced Walcott had sustained an injury any
player dreads, especially those with pace, by
rupturing an anterior cruciate knee ligament which
will keep him out for at least six months.
At a stroke, it ruled him out of the rest of Arsenal's
season and England's World Cup campaign in Brazil
this summer. And it counts as a devastating
setback for the 24-year-old.
The Football Association decided not to punish
Walcott for his gesture towards Spurs fans,
but what followed later meant this counted as no
form of consolation to this popular, likeable
individual.
Arsenal will feel the pain as they lead the Premier
League with their best opportunity to claim the title
in years while England manager Roy Hodgson has
lost a player who can serve him on the flanks or
through the middle.
Even before the ramifications for Arsenal and
England are explored, it is another tale of World Cup
woe for Walcott as he continues to endure an
unfulfilling relationship with the sport's biggest
showpiece.
Walcott was a shock inclusion in Sven-Goran
Eriksson's squad for the 2006 World Cup in
Germany as a 17-year-old even before he had
played a Premier League game. It was a farcical
selection. He was reduced to resembling a tourist
without ever coming near the team.
In 2010, he was the surprise omission from Fabio
Capello's squad for South Africa
- so he will be 29 before he gets the chance to have
a crack at a World Cup finals.
Over and above the desolation Walcott will have
been feeling on Monday evening, there are serious
consequences for Arsenal, arguably even more so
than for England.
The numbers and quality of Arsenal's attacking
resources were already under scrutiny even before
Walcott was removed from the equation.
Now Wenger, understandably very cautious about
investing in January anyway, will be considering his
transfer options with his usual rider - is there
anyone out there who can actually be bought who is
better than what he has got?
Arsenal's boss would want players of a standard to
make an instant impact in the Premier League and
also, preferably, when they face Bayern Munich in
the Champions League.
Individuals of that stature are usually found in the
Champions League already at this stage of the
season and cannot be moved.
There is no doubt, however, that Walcott's injury
hits Arsenal two-fold. He was able to use his pace
on the flanks for Arsenal but he showed his quality
through the centre as a constant threat against
Spurs on Saturday, his performance drawing great
praise from his manager.
Wenger has relied heavily on Olivier Giroud this
season, although he missed out against Spurs
through illness. Lukas Podolski has only just
returned from months on the sidelines with a
serious hamstring injury, while Nicklas Bendtner is
out for a month with ankle trouble.
The good news is that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is
close to a return to training after being out since the
opening day of the season with a knee injury. This
will receive an even warmer welcome from Wenger
and Hodgson after the severity of Walcott's injury
was revealed.
At the back of his mind, though, Wenger will be
weighing up whether to move into the market with
the possibility of winning the title such an enticing
prospect after their fine season to date.
Arsenal have been linked with Bayern Munich's
Mario Mandzukic but Wenger appears to have
accepted he will not be sold in January while the
prospect of putting together a deal for Atletico
Madrid's brilliant striker Diego Costa also looks out
of bounds as they challenge for La Liga and remain
in the Champions League - and that is even before
the cost of such a deal is considered.
Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata has also been
mentioned as a loan target but coach Carlo Ancelotti
insists the window remains firmly closed, in and
out, at the Bernabeu - so Wenger may have to throw
his scouting net even wider.
Wenger also appeared to close the door on
speculation linking him with Fulham's Dimitar
Berbatov. Will this change his mind?
As for Hodgson, this will be the sort of news he
feared ahead of a tough group stage in Brazil,
having been robbed of Frank Lampard, Gary Cahill
and Gareth Barry in the final days before Euro 2012,
where he also had to do without a suspended
Wayne Rooney for the first two games.
He will already be working potential contenders to
replace Walcott - although one who emerged with
such credit in England's final two World Cup
qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland,
Tottenham winger Andros Townsend, is also
currently sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Oxlade-Chamberlain's progress will be closely
examined by an England manager who holds him in
high regard, while Spurs winger Aaron Lennon may
see Walcott's absence as a chance to revive his
international career.
Southampton's Adam Lallana showed enough, even
as England lost their two Wembley friendlies against
Chile and Germany in November,
to place himself in Hodgson's thoughts. His
chances of travelling to Brazil will have improved
with Walcott now out of all calculations.
Liverpool's 19-year-old Raheem Sterling has
shown improved form recently after a poor spell but
he will surely have to improve further - and over a
longer period - to be seriously considered.
All this will now be deep in the thinking of Wenger
and Hodgson as Walcott contemplates another
England World Cup campaign as a spectator.
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