Post by Salem6 on Nov 20, 2008 13:25:43 GMT
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has undergone surgery on his dislocated right shoulder and will be sidelined for at least three months.
Walcott had surgery last year to correct a problem with his left shoulder
Walcott, who has a hereditary shoulder problem, suffered the injury in training with the England squad ahead of Wednesday's friendly with Germany.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said: "It will be three months before he can play but longer before he uses his shoulder.
"When a player has this injury it takes time for him to play competitively."
Walcott, 19, has suffered from a series of shoulder injuries in his career.
He had his left shoulder pinned in 2007 and had to be stretchered off during Arsenal's recent game with Stoke after he fell on it and suffered spasms as a result.
The operation was carried out by the same surgeon who operated on Walcott in 2007.
The winger had been due to play in England's friendly against Germany in Berlin, a match that Fabio Capello's team won 2-1.
Walcott has been a regular for the Gunners this season and, having seen his team collect just four points from their last four league games, Wenger must do without one of his most potent attacking players.
Last season the Derby midfielder Stephen Pearson was ruled out for a month after suffering the same injury.
But Walcott is not expected to return until 2009 - ruling him out of the remainder of Arsenal's Champions League group campaign as well as at least seven Premier League games.
"During Tuesday's training session Theo Walcott dislocated his right shoulder after falling on the pitch," said an FA statement.
"Arsenal's medical staff were advised of the injury soon after the incident."
Speaking on Tuesday prior to learning of Walcott's injury, Wenger expressed his displeasure at the timing of the international break.
"It is particularly not welcome at the moment because it is at a period where you want your players to recover a little bit," he told the Arsenal website.
"I don't see what you gain from this friendly because there is no game. You can explain a friendly to prepare for an official match but after this there is no international game for four months."
news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/7736641.stm
