Theo Walcott is facing shoulder surgery for the second time in less than two years, which could keep him out of action for at least three months. The Arsenal winger had a scan on his dislocated right shoulder after returning from Berlin yesterday and will see a surgeon today, with fears increasing that an operation is inevitable.

Walcott underwent surgery after dislocating his left shoulder in March last year and did not return until the next season, with a similar layoff expected this time around. Arsenal's medical staff were not surprised to hear of his latest setback, with specialists confirming that suffering a problem with one shoulder increases the probability of encountering difficulties with the other by as much as 50 per cent.

Walcott's situation is complicated by a hereditary condition that has left him with weakened ligaments in both arms, raising question marks over the longevity of his career. The England international has had four shoulder problems in the past two years, missing Arsenal's Champions League group match against Fenerbahçe this month after picking up a knock in a heavy challenge from Rory Delap in the defeat away to Stoke City.

Walcott's injury will cause far more problems for Arsène Wenger, who said last night that he was resigned to losing the winger “for three months”, than Fabio Capello because England do not have a competitive match until April, whereas the teenager has played in every one of Arsenal's Barclays Premier League matches this season. The North London club's manager is understood to be furious that Walcott was injured while training for a friendly international that he had dismissed as “unwelcome” and is considering whether to urge Arsenal to push for compensation.

Wenger has spoken out in favour of national associations reimbursing clubs whose players are injured while on international duty in the past, but Arsenal are unlikely to take on the FA on this occasion. For all Wenger's complaints, Arsenal have not previously taken the legal route and the sums that they would hope to recoup are relatively small.

Even if the club succeeded in arguing that they deserved to be compensated with Walcott's wages for the duration of his absence, they would gain about £200,000. Newcastle United, by comparison, received £5million in compensation when Michael Owen was ruled out for ten months after the last World Cup.

Wenger will address the issue for the first time at his weekly press conference this lunchtime, when he is expected to reiterate his dispute with friendlies. The Frenchman has previously proposed that international matches are moved to Friday and Tuesday evenings to give players more time to recuperate before playing for their clubs the next weekend.

It will give Wenger little satisfaction to recall that he predicted the problem of picking up further injuries this week. “It is particularly not welcome at the moment because it is at a period where you want your players to recover a little bit,” he said. “And the week after is Champions League so it's not well positioned. We have some players that will not even be back for [the match away to] Manchester City [on Saturday].

“I don't see what you gain from this friendly because there is no game. You can explain a friendly to prepare for an official match but after this there is no international game for four months.”

If Capello can expect an uncomfortable conversation with Wenger today, he may also be irritated when he sees photographs of two of his senior England squad players who dropped out through injury appearing to take part in a full-blooded training session yesterday. Joe Cole and Ashley Cole, who pulled out of England duties because they were had ankle and calf injuries respectively, joined their Chelsea team-mates for training in Cobham, Surrey.