Mauricio Pochettino has suggested that Harry Kane is recovering well ahead of next weekend’s Champions League final, but has refused to give a definite answer on whether or not the striker will start.
Tottenham come up against Liverpool in Madrid on June 1st, with uncertainty still rife over Kane’s involvement.
The England captain has not featured for Spurs since damaging an ankle ligament in the quarter final first leg against Manchester City.
Speaking to talkSPORT (May 24th, 11.40am), Pochettino said: “His resolution is very good.
“This week he is so close to start to work with the group, but we cannot say nothing if he is going to be available or not.
“But we are very happy that he is recovering.”
OPINION
This sounds promising from Pochettino. He hasn’t given a definite answer, but it has the coy tone of a manager who knows more than he is letting on. All the clues would suggest that Kane could be in line for some kind of feature in the final, but whether Pochettino should start his start man or not is a different question altogether. Lucas Moura has been in sensational form of late, and how are you meant to leave out a player who scored a hat trick in the semi-final? You can’t, is the short answer. Surely, Spurs shouldn’t tinker with a winning formula, and it would make far more sense if the manager leaves Kane on the bench to start with, knowing that he can have a big impact on things later in the match. Until we see the lineups on Saturday week, however, the conspiracies will continue to fly.