Arsenal forward Theo Walcott 'could still go' to the World Cup, claims former England striker Cyrille Regis

The England international is expected to miss the rest of the Gunners' campaign and the tournament in Brazil

Simon Rice
Tuesday 07 January 2014 08:14 EST
Comments
Theo Walcott is stretchered off the pitch during the match against Tottenham Hotspur
Theo Walcott is stretchered off the pitch during the match against Tottenham Hotspur (Dylan Martinez/Reuters)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Theo Walcott has been backed to recover from his knee injury in time for the World Cup.

Arsenal released a statement yesterday in which it was made clear that the forward was "expected to be out for at least six months", meaning he would not feature again this campaign and would consequently miss the tournament in Brazil.

However, Cyrille Regis who missed the 1982 World Cup in Spain through injury, believes the 24-year-old could yet recover. However even if Walcott is fit, the former West Brom, Coventry and England striker says the Arsenal forward would not be guaranteed a place in Roy Hodgson's squad.

"He probably could still make it (to the World Cup)," Regis told BBC Radio 5 Live. "It means we've got to talk about his form, whether he's in the right condition, whether other people deserve to go to the World Cup more than him.

"I'm sure his focus will be 'I just want to get fit and give myself a chance' and then we'll see, but for me it was devastating at the time."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in