England boss Gareth Southgate empathises with Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte over Harry Kane worry
Tottenham Hotspur fielded Harry Kane in their starting XI against Nottingham Forest in their third-round EFL Cup tie against Nottingham Forest.
He was taken off just a couple of minutes after Forest doubled their lead, but despite playing around 60 minutes, there were questions where the player’s inclusion was a good call from manager Antonio Conte.
The FIFA World Cup, after all, is just around the corner and the Italian manager himself, after the full-time whistle at City Ground, said that Kane was “really tired“. In all fairness, Conte didn’t have a lot of options to choose from.
Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski have just returned from injury and were only fit enough to make the bench. Son Heung-min has been sidelined with an eye socket injury.
Gareth Southgate confirmed his 26-man England squad on Thursday (10 November) and in the press conference that followed, many were eager to hear his views on Kane’s fitness. The former Middlesbrough manager empathised with Conte’s situation.
He stated that he understands why Kane is being used in such a manner by Tottenham – as the former Inter Milan and Juventus boss needs to get results. He said (h/t the Mirror):
“… we can do nothing about injuries. I empathise with the club managers at this time. Of course we would like it to be slightly different but if I am Antonio I have to win football matches for Tottenham and the same with every other manager. They employ
the players and we borrow them.”
So far, Kane has scored 12 goals and provided three assists in 21 games across competitions this campaign. This means he has played every single game for Spurs so far this season.
More Tottenham Hotspur News:
- Tottenham Hotspur loanee Harry Winks confirms ankle surgery decision as Sampdoria nightmare continues
- AC Milan struggling to renew Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Rafael Leao’s contract
- Harry Kane and Eric Dier represent Tottenham Hotspur in England’s 2022 FIFA World Cup squad
It is expected that he features against Leeds United in some capacity when the Lilywhites face them in the Premier League on 12 November. It is, after all, an important game that will define our season in the league.
