Danny Welbeck Injury Means Theo Walcott Must Learn Fast for Arsenal

Arsenal fans were all hoping the Gunners might make a major statement at the end of the transfer window—they did not expect it to be like this.

Supporters constantly refreshing Arsenal.com in anticipation of the unveiling of a brand-new striker were left disappointed as the window closed without any further activity from Arsene Wenger. It was in fact only a matter of hours later than Arsenal made a statement that did send reverberations throughout their fanbase.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t news of the addition of a new centre-forward. It concerned the loss of one of their current ones. With supporters still reeling from the decision not to recruit a new striker, Arsenal compounded the blow with this bleak news on Danny Welbeck, reported by the club's official website:

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Danny Welbeck has undergone surgery on his left knee after being unable to sufficiently step up his rehabilitation work.

The striker has been working throughout the summer to recover from the injury sustained at the end of April.

It had been hoped he would avoid surgery but after increasing his training workload, the injury to his cartilage did not respond as well as hoped and the decision was taken last week for him to undergo surgery by a leading specialist in the field.

Danny is now expected to be out for a period of months and everyone at Arsenal wishes him well.

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Even once Arsenal fans have gotten over the initial shock of that news, there are two things about the statement that will provide real cause for concern. The first is that the club knew about Welbeck’s injury before the deadline passed, yet they still opted against bringing someone in.

For a club with Arsenal’s resources, that’s a staggering decision. Wenger’s defenders will point to a lack of available elite talent, but from a purely numerical perspective, a short-term loan signing would have helped.

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The other major worry is the vagueness of the prognosis. “A period of months” does not sound good, as anyone with any experience of Arsenal’s medical issues knows that their injuries tend to drag out for longer than anticipated. Even at this early stage, there will be concerns over whether Welbeck will be back up to speed in time for Euro 2016 next summer.

For Arsenal, it means persisting with Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott, who have not yet set the world alight this season. Thus far, the Gunners have been dangerously reliant on own goals in order to edge past their opposition. With Alexis Sanchez seemingly suffering from a Copa America hangover, their attacking game is yet to click into gear.

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Giroud is an experienced centre-forward who should hit form eventually. However, he cannot bear the burden alone, so the onus on Walcott to acclimatise to the central role is enormous. He’s been talked about as a striker for so long it seems as if he ought to be a natural there, but the reality is it’s a position he barely knows. Having spent most of his career on the flank, he still has much to learn about his new role.

That adaptation process must accelerate in light of the Welbeck news. It seems as if Walcott is set to share striking duties with Giroud until at least Christmas. He needs to find his feet and start finding the net.

Arsenal could not buy a striker to replace Welbeck in the window. They will have to hope that, in Walcott, Wenger has the requisite tools to make one.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.