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Walcott gestures to Spurs fans while being stretchered off. Adam Davy/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Walcott to miss World Cup after rupturing knee ligaments

The Arsenal forward will be out for up to six months with the injury he picked up against Spurs over the weekend.

Updated 18.40

ENGLAND’S THEO WALCOTT will miss this year’s World Cup in Brazil after being ruled out for at least six months with a knee injury, his club, Arsenal has revealed.

Walcott suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee during Arsenal’s 2-0 FA Cup win at home to arch north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

An Arsenal statement said Walcott is “expected to be out for at least six months, therefore missing the remainder of the (English) season and the World Cup in Brazil in the summer”.

Meanwhile, the FA have decided against punishing  Walcott for his gesture signalling the scoreline during Saturday’s FA Cup third round win over Tottenham.

The Gunners forward made a ’2-0′ sign with his hands while being taken off injured at the Emirates which resulted in coins being thrown in his direction.

But the FA this afternoon released a statement to reveal that no action will be taken.

“The FA has contacted both Arsenal and Tottenham to seek their observations in relation to objects being thrown from both a home and away section of the crowd at different times during Saturday’s FA Cup tie,” the statement reads.

The FA condemns any such acts and will liaise with both clubs and the Metropolitan Police to identify those responsible and support the strongest sanctions available, including life bans.

“Meanwhile, in relation to the same fixture, The FA has contacted Arsenal’s Theo Walcott and reminded him of his responsibilities regarding a ‘scoreline’ gesture he made in front of away supporters during the game.

“The FA will not be taking any further disciplinary action.”

Originally posted at 16.00. Additional reporting by Ben Blake

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    Mute Shane Kearney
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    Jan 6th 2014, 5:26 PM

    Every game, players have to put up with the most poison insults from supporters, yet whenever they want to gave a bit back( even something as innocent as this) they are called out.

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    Mute Ricky Spanish
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    Jan 6th 2014, 7:18 PM

    Why do supporters think they can hurl abuse (and coins) for 90 mins then go nuts when they get a bit back. Strap on a pair and deal with it!

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    Mute Twenty
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    Jan 6th 2014, 7:52 PM

    CSM -A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity.

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    Mute Twenty
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    Jan 6th 2014, 6:48 PM

    That tough going , got to feel for the guy

    66
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    Mute CSM
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    Jan 6th 2014, 6:55 PM

    New name?? New year? & you’re still a muppet

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    Mute Ginger Jihad
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    Jan 6th 2014, 6:56 PM

    They put the sheeny curse on him. I feared something like this could happen. Disaster

    34
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    Mute Rupert Christie
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    Jan 6th 2014, 4:57 PM

    This is essentially the same as when Adebayor wound up the Arsenal supporters by celebrating in front of them. He got a fine and a suspended 2 game ban. Why didn’t Walcott even have to go to a hearing? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/6251453/Emmanuel-Adebayor-given-suspended-two-match-ban-for-Arsenal-celebration.html

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    Mute Jack Strong
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    Jan 6th 2014, 5:15 PM

    Probably because Adebayor started it. Walcott was responding to abuse and coins hurled at him.

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    Mute paul moylan
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    Jan 6th 2014, 5:35 PM

    How can you compare walcott getting carried off on a stretcher and getting coins thrown at him with adebayor who ran the length of the field to celebrate scoring a goal in front of the arsenal supporters

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    Mute Rupert Christie
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    Jan 6th 2014, 5:40 PM

    i’m comparing them because both were getting abused during match and both wound up crowd. Thought Walcott only got things thrown at him after gesture. I’m just asking a genuine question here because they seemed similar to me

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    Mute DaVe O'm
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    Jan 6th 2014, 6:52 PM

    Very similar, only worse because Walcott was surrounded by poor medic bystanders

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    Mute Ronan Byrne
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    Jan 7th 2014, 12:25 AM

    He was getting stick for the amount of time it took to get him off the pitch, not unnatural for supporters of a team chasing a game and especially when bitterest rivals. The Multimillionaire Walcott despite an injury couldn’t manage to ignore the bleating of the great unwashed so decided to try some hand signals and only then did coins rain in on him. Only have some sympathy for the stretcher bearers and as someone else pointed out the World Cup thing is very much schadenfreude…..

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    Mute Vinny Murphy
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    Jan 6th 2014, 6:49 PM

    Massive blow to chances of winning league….we need everyone fit n healthy throughout season to have some chance of picking up silverware….still f@ck it…we can still do it.

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    Mute Frasier Crane
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    Jan 6th 2014, 6:54 PM

    Arsenal usually capitulate at this stage of a title race; unless they are competing for a Champions League place with the likes of Spurs and Everton, in which case they always squeak fourth.

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    Mute Dermot O'Shea
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    Jan 6th 2014, 7:02 PM

    Erm nope! Arsenal don’t capitulate at this stage, they’re usually already out of the title race at this stage and suddenly pick up their form in the New Year to push for a top-4 spot. If we show similar form while already top of the pile then we’re more than in with a shot. That said, it’s a tighter race this year than in past seasons!

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    Mute Donal McMahon
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    Jan 6th 2014, 7:10 PM

    england could do with him!

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    Mute Ann-Marie Wallis
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    Jan 7th 2014, 6:32 AM

    Townsend will benefit, how ironic!

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    Mute CSM
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    Jan 6th 2014, 6:42 PM

    2-1 now I reckon!

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    Mute Lorem Ipsum
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    Jan 6th 2014, 7:31 PM

    He’s still a multi-millionaire with a solid gold house and 5 or 6 lingerie-model girlfriends, and now he has several months to do nothing but “rest”, so; 3-1

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    Mute Graham Kavanagh
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    Jan 6th 2014, 8:28 PM

    Lots of disagrees from the fat acne boys…

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    Mute william motley
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    Jan 6th 2014, 5:57 PM

    Ruru must be a spuds fan

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    Mute Rupert Christie
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    Jan 6th 2014, 6:17 PM

    Actually I’m a Reading fan :)

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    Mute Ann-Marie Wallis
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    Jan 6th 2014, 6:54 PM

    I’m a Spurs fan; many of our own support let themselves down this weekend…by throwing coins at a millionaire. I don’t like seeing any player injured, even a Gooner.

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    Mute John Burke
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    Jan 6th 2014, 10:27 PM

    Nice one Ann-Marie.

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    Mute Fergal O'Leary
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    Jan 7th 2014, 10:39 AM

    I like reading but I also like walking and cinema

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    Mute CSM
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    Jan 6th 2014, 8:04 PM

    Twenty…. Was that the age the last time you got your rocks?? Or 1st & only time you ever got it?

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    Mute Noel Healy
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    Jan 6th 2014, 6:51 PM

    Wawawaaaaaaaaaaa…..now that’s what I call schadenfreude folks!!

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    Mute Daniel O' Sullivan
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    Jan 7th 2014, 3:23 PM

    That was far from innocent. He didn’t have to do it, and it was purely to aggravate the crowd.

    Because he’s English he somehow gets away with it, but if that was a foreign player then the FA would bring down the hammer. (See Suarez and Terry’s respective racism bans despite there being evidence of Terry actually saying those things)

    He should be fined for taunting them (since he’s somehow a role model) and Tottenham should be fined for their fan’s behaviour. A few hundred thousand taken out of their transfer fund would stop some of the abuse and act as a warning to fans of other clubs.

    Zero tolerance is the only way to cut it out.

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    Mute kieran ellis
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    Jan 6th 2014, 6:36 PM

    Wouldn’t make difference, he’s out for 6 months.

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    Mute Jack Jones
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    Jan 6th 2014, 10:03 PM

    Haha posh little mammys boy

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    Mute William O Connell
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    Jan 7th 2014, 5:18 AM

    Won’t make a difference England are good enough anyway

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    Mute Lee Smith
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    Jan 7th 2014, 11:52 PM

    Exactly, absolutely spot on Will.

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