UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Shakhtar Donetsk v Arsenal:THEO WALCOTT studies DVDs of Thierry Henry's years as Arsenal's record goalscorer and he is close to becoming the club's main striker himself, according to the manager, Arsene Wenger.

Walcott is still only 21, the same age as Henry when he signed in August 1999 to rejoin Wenger, who first spotted his fellow Frenchman’s potential as a 15-year-old, when he was in charge of Monaco.

Henry arrived at Arsenal as a winger who had lost his way at Juventus and Wenger transformed him into the supreme striker who piled up 226 goals before departing eight years later.

Against Shakhtar Donetsk tonight Wenger fields a team without captain Cesc Fabregas, who is rested as a precaution due to a hamstring niggle, as well as Alex Song (calf), Denilson (groin) and Andrey Arshavin (rested).

The manager, though, is clear that Walcott will start and Wenger believes there are similarities between Henry and the Englishman, who has also began his career operating from the flanks.

“Theo would love to play in the middle,” Wenger said. “Don’t forget that when Thierry Henry came here, he was a winger. When I played Henry as a central striker, he said to me: ‘But I can’t score goals’. It’s difficult to compare the similarities – is Thierry a replica of Theo? Is Theo a replica of Thierry? No. But they have in common tremendous pace, they are good finishers and both are intelligent.

“He is very close to playing that striker role. You know the two goals he scored against Newcastle, they were typical of a striker who plays on a counter-attack. But when I play with only one up front you like a guy who is good in the air sometimes, when you kick it longer.”

To begin to emulate Henry, Walcott would have to consistently score 20 goals a season. Regarding that prospect Wenger said: “He can be prolific as once he is a yard in front of the defender, who can catch him?

“It looks to me that Theo has a calmness in front of goal. Before he rushed his decision but now he is different in front of goal.”

Walcott’s former billing as Arsenal’s burning new talent now belongs to Jack Wilshere, who should start against Shakhtar and if Arsenal win, they will be through to the knock-out stages.

The Arsenal manager found it difficult to compare the development of the two players, however. “I don’t know as Theo played very young,” he said. “He is very difficult to assess as he has been in and out through injuries.

“If you look at the history of Theo, every time that he was playing regular he was top. Jack looks more a guy that you can put him on any field and he can play the morning, afternoon and the next day again.

“And he is this kind of player. Theo is a Formula One type and when he is fit he is always at 200mph and then it hurts.”

Wenger also suggested the Spurs goalkeeper, Heurelho Gomes, was to blame for Manchester United’s controversial second goal on Saturday.

While Mark Clattenburg, the referee, has drawn criticism for allowing an advantage following Nani’s handball, Wenger said: “I can understand the referee because one way to give the advantage Tottenham deserved is let the game flow.

“Gomes didn’t play quickly enough to take advantage of it and he tried to gain a few yards to kick the ball longer and got caught on it.”

Guardian Service