Walcott prepares for his World Cup debut

England head coach Sven Goran Eriksson is preparing to unleash teenage sensation Theo Walcott on to the World Cup stage in an effort to secure victory over Sweden in the final group match in Germany on Tuesday.

Neither Wayne Rooney nor Michael Owen is yet fully fit and remain unlikely to play a full 90 minutes. And that could mean a sensational World Cup debut for the 17-year-old who has yet to play in the Premiership for his club Arsenal.

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Walcott would be likely to come on for just part of the match that Rooney may well start, Eriksson indicated yesterday. His other main concerns are midfielders Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, who are both carrying yellow cards.