Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits the jury is out on whether Theo Walcott is ready to become a first team regular.

"Frankly I don't know yet," he told arsenal.com. "I could say 'yes' or 'no'. No because he is long enough in the game to have learned and yes because he is still young.

"He told me he knows it's an important year for him.

"I studied the team who won the World Cup for France in 1998. They all started age 18.

"If you don't get in the team at 18, 19, 20 doubts start. He's at an age now where you expect him to exert his personality and turn up in big games. OK he will still look young on occasions but as well it is [time] to show that this guy can be a player.

"I think he will."