Theo Walcott’s England disappointment down to injury, says Arsène Wenger

    

Walcott’s performance at centre-forward against Italy criticised
• ‘He’s not completely there yet,’ says Wenger of knee injury
• Walcott’s toils loom large during Sterling contract stand-off

Arsène Wenger has defended Theo Walcott following criticism of the Arsenal forward’s performance for England against Italy, saying he is still regaining his sharpness after returning from the knee injury that kept him out for almost a year.

Walcott struggled to make an impact in an unfamiliar central role in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw in Turin, first as a partner for Harry Kane and then as a No10, and England’s equaliser came after he was replaced in the 55th minute, leading to suggestions he could fall out of favour with Roy Hodgson.

It has been a difficult period for Walcott. The 26-year-old has found himself on the bench in recent weeks for Arsenal and the uncertainty over whether he will sign a new contract has prompted speculation about his future. Walcott’s deal runs out at the end of next season.

Wenger, who was dismissive about rumours linking Arsenal with a summer move for Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling, said it will take a while for Walcott to shake off the rust. Walcott missed the World Cup after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee against Tottenham Hotspur last January and onlyreturned in November.

“I don’t worry about Theo because he’s not completely there yet and I told you that a few times,” Wenger said. “He has been out for a year with a very bad injury and he’s coming back. But being exposed like that, people have a harsh judgment on him that is not deserved because he does well. For me, he is on course to come back but he’s not completely there.”

Despite admitting Walcott can be sensitive, Wenger is not overly concerned about the Italy game having an adverse effect. “He is not fragile mentally, he is strong mentally,” the manager said. “But he is disappointed because when you come back you always think you are ready.

“He needs patience. He is at the moment not in his best mood. He is not a fragile type. He has big confidence in himself and he has gone through some difficult periods in his life and he has always come out with strength.”

Wenger said he has never played Walcott as a No10 before. “Theo’s strength is the quality of his movements, he wants to go to get on the end of things,” he said. “He’s not a guy who provides.”

The Frenchman felt the switch in position with Wayne Rooney during the first half was not necessarily a direction from the bench by Hodgson. “I don’t think it was the intention of Roy Hodgson to play him there,” Wenger said. “Maybe Rooney took the initiative during the game to play higher up and tell Theo to drop back. I haven’t seen Roy Hodgson in the game standing up to say: ‘Walcott, you come and play in midfield and Rooney you go up front’. That’s an initiative they took on the pitch.

“It was a complicated game for the strikers because Italy defended with three centre-backs, two players in front of the two centre-backs and England played all in there so there was no room, no space.”

There is a chance Walcott could start against Liverpool on Saturday. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is struggling with a hamstring injury and Danny Welbeck is a doubt after returning from international duty with a knee problem.

Mathieu Debuchy and Jack Wilshere could be involved after returning to training this week, while Wenger indicated that Abou Diaby, whose contract runs out at the end of the season, could be offered a new deal despite his fitness issues.

Diaby, who played 45 minutes in a practice game on Tuesday, broke his ankle against Sunderland in 2006 and has struggled with injuries ever since, making only 22 appearances in the past four seasons.

The French midfielder has featured once competitively this season, playing for 67 minutes against Southampton in the Capital One Cup in September, but Wenger suggested there is a chance Diaby could remain at Arsenal if the right deal can be agreed. However he cautioned that Diaby will have to prove his fitness over a sustained period.

“I had a chat with him and told him how I can envisage the future,” Wenger said. “He has to make a decision. Of course he understands completely that he has to perform and to show that he can be present on a consistent way.

“I will see where we go from there. I wouldn’t like to go into details, we have to meet again to see where we go from what I told him. It has to be linked a little bit with his presence.”

Manuel Pellegrini tells Greg Dyke big clubs only interested in best players

 Manchester City manager says academy may take years to bear fruit 
• ‘It is not always easy for young players to come through in big teams’ 
• Theo Walcott’s toils loom large during Raheem Sterling stand-off

Manuel Pellegrini has suggested it may be several years before Manchester City’s academy produces any players for the first team and put himself at odds with the FA chairman, Greg Dyke, by insisting the biggest clubs should only be interested in the best players.

“The other day I mentioned one English player [Raheem Sterling] as an example but it doesn’t mean we are interested in him or in other English players,” the City manager said. “Regarding what the FA have proposed I think it is important for big clubs to bring in the best players, that is the most important thing. If they [an increased English quota] are good players then of course I agree with the idea. We need good players. All the big teams do but the Premier League especially needs the best players to play.”

Pellegrini can be excused to an extent for short-termism. He may not even be at City next season, let alone three or four years down the line should Dyke’s plans come to fruition, and in many ways he represents part of the problem the FA is trying to address. Pellegrini was not hired to help England win a World Cup or boost the number of English-qualified players performing in the Premier League, his brief was simply to make City successful and keep the trophies rolling in. Given that the probability of the club finishing empty-handed this season has already led to speculation he may be dismissed in the summer, and even if he gets a third year it is likely he will have to win the Premier League or reach a Champions League final to convince City’s owners he is the man for the job, it is hardly surprising Pellegrini is chiefly interested in ready-made rather than home-produced talent.

Not that the City manager is about to discuss transfer budgets or summer targets. “We are not talking about next season, nothing beyond the next game at Crystal Palace,” he said. “This club has put a lot of money into the academy because young players are important but if we are talking about the academy we must be patient. It is not always easy for young players to come through in big teams. I am sure in the future we will have important players who have come through the academy but it might take years of working in the same way. Although with footballers you never know. Maybe some talented players can come through more quickly.”

Pellegrini has no injury problems after the international break, is relaxed about Yaya Touré playing twice for the Ivory Coast in spite of the achilles injury that kept him out of the last league game, and said he would like City to win their remaining eight Premier League games to keep up the pressure on Chelsea. “That is easy to say but not so easy to do. I always expect to win all the games, from the beginning of the season to the end. I know that is not the way it will work out but you need to have that mentality as a big team. With a team like this there is a demand on you to win every game but you can only do it one game at a time and for now our focus is wholly on Crystal Palace.”