Arsenal

Wenger: Walcott Injury Was An Accident

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger does not blame the FA for the dislocated shoulder suffered by Theo Walcott during international week...

Nov 20, 2008 2:17:40 PM

Arsene Wenger wonders where it's all gone wrong as Arsenal slump away to Stoke (PA)

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Arsene Wenger wonders where it's all gone wrong as Arsenal slump away to Stoke (PA)

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Theo Walcott

On Tuesday, the England squad were training in Germany - ahead of their hard-fought 2-1 win over the hosts in Berlin last night - when Arsenal's Theo Walcott hit the turf.

West Ham United's Scott Parker, himself a replacement for the injured Steven Gerrard, made contact with the 19-year-old and Walcott bore the weight of his fall on the shoulder.

The ex-Southampton man is expected to be sidelined for up to three months after being forced to undergo surgery this morning.

His Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, usually a vociferous opponent of international friendlies, was uncharacteristically sanguine about the blow.

His winger is set to miss more than a third of the season, but the Frenchman attaches no blame to the England set-up.

He told the press: "I'm disappointed because he is an important part of the squad.

"But that could have happened in training here — it was an accident that could have happened anywhere.

"I do not blame the FA for that. It was accidental in training and I accept that.

"In a moment like that you do not think about compensation, you think about how you can replace the player."

Peter Staunton