England forward 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, said Monday.
Walcott suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee during Premier League leaders 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”.
The 24-year-old Walcott jarred his knee towards the end of the match making a tackle and was carried from the field.
Arsenal team-mate Aaron Ramsey sympathised with Walcott on Twitter by saying: “Gutted for Theo, he’ll come back stronger after this. Been fantastic for us so far this season. Have a speedy recovery mate.”
Former Arsenal and England midfielder Ray Parlour said Walcott would be a major loss for both club and country.
“What a really big injury this is for Arsenal and England because I’m sure Theo would have been a starter for England in Brazil,” Parlour told Sky Sports News.
“And it must be a massive blow for himself because he’s playing in a very good team at the moment, top of the league, and looking forward to Brazil.
“He must be absolutely distraught about the extent of the injury.”
Whilst on a stretcher, Walcott was pelted by coins and plastic bottles, among other objects, from the away end.
Earlier on Monday and before the extent of his injury was made public, the Football Association (FA), the English game’s governing body, said Walcott would not face disciplinary action for making a ‘2-0’ gesture from his stretcher that appeared to be aimed at Spurs fans.
“The FA has contacted both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur 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 third round tie.
“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 ‘score-line’ gesture he made in front of away supporters during the game. The FA will not be taking any further disciplinary action.”
Walcott’s injury may mean Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has to buy a striker during the January transfer window following injuries to a number of forwards, with Olivier Giroud out with illness and Nicklas Bendtner expected to miss most of January with an ankle injury.
Walcott missed the final two World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland due to injury, with Tottenham’s Andros Townsend winning rave reviews after taking his place.
Former Southampton starlet Walcott has yet to play in a World Cup match despite his stunning selection by then England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2006.
Four years later, he failed to make the squad chosen by Fabio Capello for the 2010 edition in South Africa.
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- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
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- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
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Range: Up to 610km
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Rating: 3.5/5
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Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
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Name: Lamsa
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Launched: 2014
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Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
