For some it came as a surprise, others were expecting it. Arsenal midfielder Theo Walcott will not be part of the English World Cup squad although the player was very calm in describing the axe.

Speaking after Fabio Capello announced the squad, the 21-year old explained that he is “very disappointed” but also added how he respects the decision of the Italian. Walcott wished the team the best of luck as he will now shift his focus back to Arsenal ahead of the 2010/2011 campaign.

Meanwhile, a total of eleven Arsenal players were called by their respective National sides to represent their countries in South Africa. Alex Song for Cameroon, Nicklas Bendtner for Denmark, Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby, William Gallas and Bacary Sagna for France, Emmanuel Eboue for the Ivory Coast, Carlos Vela for Mexico, Robin Van Persie for the Netherlands, Cesc Fabregas for Spain and Philippe Senderos for Switzerland.

In friendly Internationals, the Dutch striker has already showed he is at the top of his form despite only recently making his comeback from injury for the Gunners. Nicklas Bendtner is recovering from an injury but should feature for the Danes whilst it will be interesting to see how Cesc Fabregas reacts to all the speculation about his future.