England's dwindling World Cup strikeforce has experienced yet more woe after Theo Walcott suffered a calf injury.

The 17-year-old limped out of training after suffering a kick on the calf but is expected to return ahead of the Trinidad and Tobago match on Thursday.

With Michael Owen clearly not match fit and Wayne Rooney still recovering from his metatarsal injury, manager Sven-Goran Eriksson will be desperate to avoid any further complications with his forward line.

With Peter Crouch England's only fully-fit senior striker and on a yellow card it is essential the young Gunner remains injury free should Eriksson look to back up his selection gamble by fielding the teenager.

The England boss claimed he considered replacing Owen with Walcott in the narrow 1-0 win against Paraguay.

Eriksson said: "We thought about it, but it was the first game in the World Cup. Let's have more training, let's go on with the World Cup a little bit.

"I think it is a big responsibility to start or to come on in the first game of the World Cup."

The news won't please former England star Alan Shearer who has called for Eriksson to justify his selection of Walcott by giving the teenager some match time.

Walcott was chosen ahead of the likes of Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent despite never having played for Arsenal.

Shearer wrote in his column in The Times: "The logical thing to have done would have been to throw Walcott on - we know he has pace which is something defenders hate - but how do you make that judgment when no-one has seen him play or knows what he can or can't do?

"Why take him to the tournament if you're not going to put him on? He's either ready or he isn't. If I was in his shoes, or had been sent home like Jermain Defoe or left out like Darren Bent, I'd be thinking 'Hang on, the manager's got a midfielder playing off the centre forward.'

"It seems strange to me and it does look like a gamble now Peter Crouch is halfway towards a suspension."