Arsenal pair don’t warrant England spot

Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have struggled for form and fitness this season and the Arsenal duo should not make England’s Euro 2016 squad.

So much was expected from Walcott when he joined the Gunners from Southampton a decade ago, but the forward has failed to fulfil his potential.

The Londoner was a shock inclusion for the Three Lions at the 2006 World Cup at the mere age of 17, with Sven-Goran Eriksson leaving the likes of Darren Bent, Jermain Defoe, Dean Ashton and Andrew Johnson behind, although he didn’t actually make it onto the pitch.

A succession of injuries has hampered the now 27-year-old’s progression over recent years and he has made just 28 Premier League starts since the start of the 2013/14 campaign.

Walcott has been itching to play through the middle more for both club and country but when he has been handed the chance, he has failed to impress on a regular basis.

He has only got into double-figures in the goal department once in the English top flight – scoring 14 times in the 2012/13 season.

Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, Jamie Vardy, Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge are all ahead of him in the pecking order for England and there is no way Walcott should be ahead of any of these five, if they are all fit.

Oxlade-Chamberlain is the second Arsenal player struggling to make Euro 2016 and it has been a similar story of injuries and lack of form that has been the problem.

The winger, who has at times being deployed as a central midfielder, has only made nine league starts this term and his performances have done little to inspire.

He has managed to score just one goal and the end product, that is so crucial on the international stage, has been lacking on several occasions.

The 22-year-old does still have time on his side to fulfil the potential that is clearly there, but Euro 2016 cannot be seen as a realistic goal after a disappointing campaign.

England, who are 9.00 to win in France this summer, have been drawn against Russia, Wales and Slovakia in Group B and are the 1.80 favourites to top the pool.