Coach Capello drops winger Walcott as he cuts 7 players to set England’s World Cup squad

Capello drops Walcott from England’s WCup squad

LONDON — Theo Walcott has been omitted from England’s final 23-man World Cup squad.

The Arsenal winger was one of seven players dropped Tuesday by coach Fabio Capello.

Capello preferred the more experienced Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips to Walcott, who was at the 2006 World Cup at age 17 but never played.

Capello also cut Darren Bent, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Scott Parker, Michael Dawson and Leighton Baines.

Gareth Barry is included despite an ankle injury.

Emile Heskey will go despite starting fewer than half of Aston Villa’s Premier League matches this season. Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe are the other strikers.

England flies to South Africa on Wednesday and opens against the United States on June 12.