Wenger fears Walcott burnout
Theo Walcott has a busy summer ahead of him
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Monday, 25, May 2009 08:56
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is worried that Theo Walcott will not get a break from the game is he is selected to play in the European under-21 Championships.
The 20-year-old is expected to play for England in the World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Andorra on 6th and 10th June, respectively. He could then be called-up by Stuart Pearce for the under-21s for the tournament which starts on June 15th and lasts two weeks.
If Walcott does play for the under-21s, then it will mean he will have less than a month off before the start of the new season.
"My feeling is that I am against it (Walcott playing for both teams)," said Wenger. "I let it be known to the FA that he should not play in both national teams during the holiday period.
"It is difficult for us to accept, but the rules are on the side of the federation and we cannot do anything about it.
"It is not logical that he plays for the first team and the under-21s during the holiday period. They (the European Championship) finish on 29th June and we start training on 6th July."
Wenger admitted he had spoken to both England manager Fabio Capello and Pearce about the matter, but was unable to get a definitive answer on whether Walcott will be picked for both teams.