Saturday, 8th November, 2014
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Theo Walcott is at risk of suffering another big injury if he is rushed back into competitive action too soon.
Walcott came off the bench for the last ten minutes of Arsenal's 3-0 win over Burnley last weekend, an appearance which marked the end of a long recovery road for the forward.
The former Southampton man suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury in Arsenal's FA Cup clash against Tottenham Hotspur in January, missing the second half of last term as a result along with the summer's World Cup.
Arsenal fans are keen to see Walcott in regular action as soon as possible, but Wenger is wary of the forward suffering another serious injury.
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"In our job, every time you have a big injury, there is a bigger chance of having another", he told his club's site.
"Overall he has been taken care of very well."
And Wenger will now adopt a kid gloves approach with the 25-year-old.
"He is now ready to play again and we just have to leave him in peace and give him the time needed to come back.
"He has been out for 10 months – I don’t know if you realise how long that is. People think it’s like mechanics.
"[Players are] not machines, they are human beings and to get back into the rhythm of the top, top competition will take time."
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