Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger warns Emirates faithful not to expect too much too soon from Theo Walcott…
Theo Walcott will take at least two months to get back to his best according to Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, as reported by the Evening Standard.
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Walcott was out for nearly ten months following his anterior cruciate ligament injury against Tottenham in January, and Wenger is not prepared to rush him back into action for fear of aggravating the problem.
The pacey winger played 45 minutes for the Arsenal Under-21s last month, as well as making a brief substitute appearance against Burnley during the Gunners’ 3-0 win.
He has been included in Roy Hodgson’s England squad despite his lack of football, how much he will be utilised by the international manager is still unclear however.
The 25-year-old has been a vital part of Arsenal in recent seasons, so it will be a huge boost for the North London club to have him back and available for selection.
Arsene Wenger did however warn not to expect too much from him ahead of their Sunday visit to Swansea.
“It takes two months,” he said.
“Once you’re back in full training, you count two months. Of course, people think you’re back and you play but it’s not like that. Ten months is a long time in top-level football.
“(You lose) the sharpness, the speed. At the top level, it’s a fraction of a second that makes the decisions. And to find the confidence to get away from people.
“You’re nearly there but you’re not there and for a while you think, ‘will that ever come back?’ And suddenly yes, it’s there again. But it takes time to get that fraction of pace.”