Martin Keown: 'Andros Townsend can fill in for Theo Walcott'

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has backed Andros Townsend to fill the void left by Theo Walcott for England at the World Cup.

The Gunners forward was ruled out for six months with a knee injury sustained in the Gunners' 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup on Saturday evening.

Keown believes that the Spurs winger will be able to successfully deputise for the 24-year-old.

He told the Daily Mail: "Townsend has already proved he can fill the gap left by Walcott. His performances against Montenegro and Poland played a big part in helping England through those sticky ties.

"He was almost unplayable in the latter game, cutting inside onto his left foot and providing quite a different threat. He has pace too.

"But he appeared almost handcuffed under Andre Villas-Boas and I'm looking forward to seeing how he will perform under Tim Sherwood, who will get the best out of him."

Despite Walcott's injury, a Scottish surgeon has claimed that he can have the England international back in four months, meaning he could still feature at the Brazil tournament.