Arsenal legend Ian Wright has expressed his sympathy towards Theo Walcott after his dreams of winning the Premier League title and playing in the World Cup were shattered by injury.

The Gunners, who sit top of the table with 18 games to go, were rocked by the news on Monday that the England international has been ruled out for the next six months with knee ligament damage, meaning that he will miss the remainder of Arsenal's campaign and the World Cup finals in Brazil this summer.

"As a player it's devastating," Wright told BBC Sport. "I missed out on a World Cup in '98 through injury and it's something that you never truly get over.

"In the end I didn't actually get to play in any but for someone like Theo who has been there but not played - but he has been there - for this one I feel he would have been ready."

Walcott was taken to the 2006 World Cup as a 17-year-old but did not feature for England, before being overlooked by Fabio Capello for the tournament in South Africa in 2010.