Steven Gerrard has said that he felt "sick in the stomach" after hearing that Theo Walcott would miss the World Cup with a knee injury.
The Arsenal midfielder ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during the team's FA Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.
The England captain told Sky Sports News: "I was sick in the stomach because he's not going to the World Cup. I think we're going to be missing a key player, a player capable of getting goals and assists at that level.
"But what it does is gives an opportunity to another player in those positions, the emergence of Andros Townsend, Raheem Sterling, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, it gives a chance to another top player.
"Knowing it's going to be my last World Cup, getting qualification was a massive high but now I want to go and make the most of my last one."
Walcott is expected to be out for at least six months while recovering from the injury.
Sian Cowper
