Tottenham Hotspur coach Cristian Stellini makes Harry Kane claim that could upset England’s Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate would know that Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane is the big hope for England if they want to lift the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1966.
The 29-year-old won the Golden Boot in the 2018 World Cup and helped Spurs to a semi-final finish. He is expected to wear the captain’s armband and lead the Three Lions from the front.
Hence, with the World Cup just around the corner and very little time for players to rendezvous with their international teammates, any rest for them in the upcoming games will be appreciated by international managers.
Son Heung-min’s eye socket fracture against Olympique de Marseille and Richarlison’s injury in the 2-0 win against Everton earlier this season served as a reminder of just how quickly and unexpectedly a player’s World Cup dreams could be shattered.
Luckily, those two are expected to make the plane to Qatar. But if Kane picks up an injury in the EFL Cup game against Nottingham Forest tomorrow (9 November) or against Leeds United three days later, it could be the end of the road for his World Cup dream.
The clash against the Tricky Trees is perhaps the fixture where England fans would have thought Kane would get a rest. But according to assistant manager Stellini, the decision rests with manager Antonio Conte. He said at his recent press conference (h/t Evening Standard):
“Yes [Kane is a player who wants to play every game] and I want to see Harry Kane in every game. But the decision is up to Antonio. But I love football and I love to see talented players and Harry Kane is a talented player and in every competition I hope to see him play for Tottenham.”
Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski have recently suffered injuries and it remains to be seen if they will be fit to start against Forest. The same applies to Son.
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In that case, we may not have a lot of options but to play Kane. The league game against Leeds at N17 this Saturday is also a game we cannot afford to drop the Englishman from. Fingers crossed he navigates these fixtures without any issues.
