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Theo Walcott has given Arsenal a major injury scare just days before the new Premier League season's big kick-off.

Walcott hurt an ankle during training with England on Monday, needed to be helped from the pitch and could not complete the session.

Arsenal winger Walcott is now a doubt for Wednesday’s international friendly against Scotland - and his club boss Arsene Wenger will be anxious no risks are taken ahead of the Gunners' season-opener against Aston Villa.

England boss Roy Hodgson insists Walcott will be fit despite the injury, which came in a tackle after a raft of players from the Three Lions' Under-21 squad, including Everton left-back Luke Garbutt, were drafted into the session with the under-staffed seniors.

Hodgson said: “Theo took a slight knock at the end of training, but we believe he’ll be okay. He’s very much still in contention.”

The England seniors had a shortage of players on Monday - Manchester United players involved in the Community Shield on Sunday were given extra time to recovery while the Chelsea contingent had only just flown in from the Blues' US pre-season tour.

Steven Gerrard, Rickie Lambert, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jack Wilshere, Jermain Defoe, Kyle Walker, James Milner and Glen Johnson were the only other seniors to train on Monday morning.

It meant Garbutt, Eric Dier, Tom Thorpe, Jesse Lingaard, Tom Carroll, Michael Keane and Todd Kane were promoted from the Under-21s to make up the numbers.