Rafael Benitez has insisted that it would be a “risk” for Tottenham to start Harry Kane in the Champions League final on Saturday.
The England international – who suffered a second ankle injury of the season in the quarter-final first leg against Manchester City in early April – has all but recovered and is expected to be involved in some capacity in the Madrid showpiece against Liverpool.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, however, Newcastle boss Benitez admitted that giving Kane a starting role could hamper Spurs’ attacking dynamics, with Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min having performed so well in his absence.
“That is the main question, whether you play him coming back from injury or not,” the manager said. “The only one who can make the right decision is Pochettino, because he knows the player and he has been watching training.
“The player will say ‘yes, I am fine’, because he will be desperate to play the final. So he has to talk with the medical staff and decide. If you are asking me ‘what would you do?’ I cannot give you any answer because I haven’t seen the player. It is a big decision.
“They were doing so well and the players up front are so dynamic, to change that and put a player who is maybe not fully fit is a risk. We have to wait and see how confident Pochettino is with the fitness of Harry Kane.”
OPINION
This is a decision which could make or break Spurs’ chances in the Champions League final against Jurgen Klopp’s side on Saturday. There is no doubting Kane is Tottenham’s best player and – at his best and when he is fully match-fit – he is unplayable and if that was the case, Moura would have no chance at starting. But having only just recovered from injury and not having not played a competitive match since early April means the England international will be rusty. In a game of this magnitude, do you really want someone who is rusty to start ahead of Moura, who has been epic in this European run? Usually, that question would be a no-brainer, but because it is Harry Kane, you have to give it some extra thought. He has been the key man for Spurs over the last few seasons and to see him miss out would be heartbreaking for the 25-year-old on a personal note, but it would be better for the team if he was brought on with 25 minutes to go. Then, he could make a stunning impact.