Walcott eyeing emergency striker role in Brazil

IT'S AN EMERGENCY ... Walcott could be the answer to Roy's problems

THEO WALCOTT could be pressed into service as an emergency striker in the Maracana on Sunday.

England have few options available in attack for their glamour end-of-season friendly against Brazil — if it goes ahead.

Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge picked up an ankle ligament injury in the first half of Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland.

To make matters worse, neither Danny Welbeck nor Jermain Defoe are fully fit and Andy Carroll pulled out before the Three Lions squad met up.

England boss Roy Hodgson said there was no time to call up another striker, with his team flying out yesterday.
So, if he sticks with his much-criticised 4-4-2 line-up, Arsenal’s Walcott should get the chance to partner Wayne Rooney.

Hodgson said: “We’ve been a bit unlucky with front players, that’s for sure.

“We were quite pleased with the way Sturridge combined with Rooney in that short spell against Ireland and he looked lively.

“I thought it was going to be an interesting 90 minutes to see how he developed.

“Jermain is not firing on all cylinders right now, we know that. He didn’t played in the last games for Tottenham and is feeling his Achilles slightly.

“But we have to get on with it and make ourselves as competitive against Brazil as the Republic of Ireland were against us.”