Graeme Souness has suggested that Mauricio Pochettino will need to make a decision on whether Harry Kane is fit enough to start against Liverpool in the Champions League final.
Kane has missed Tottenham’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Ajax, with Lucas Moura starting in the England international’s absence and scoring a hat-trick in the second half to fire Pochettino’s side to the final.
Tottenham’s chance of beating Liverpool in the Champions League final have been boosted by Kane thought to be nearing a return to fitness ahead of the final in Madrid, according to Sky Sports.
However, Souness has warned Pochettino that he might need to make the decision on whether Kane is able to start the match, and suggested that the England striker could risk being burnt out if he starts when not fully fit against Liverpool.
“Harry Kane strikes me as the type who may need to be protected from himself when it comes to deciding whether he is fit for the Champions League final. It’s a complicated call for Mauricio Pochettino, his manager, to make before a match that could be career-defining for them both,” Souness wrote in his column in the The Times.
“How many Champions League finals do you get to play in? Kane will be desperate to feature and the club will be desperate to have him there, but they must also consider the long term, as this is a recurring injury, and he might break down on Saturday night if he is not ready to return.”
OPINION
Souness is right to suggest that Pochettino will need to make the difficult decision on whether to start Kane in the Champions League final against Liverpool. Kane will be desperate to be involved against Liverpool in what would be his first appearance in a Champions League final. However, Pochettino must be careful not to risk Kane’s long term fitness against Liverpool, and with the likes of Lucas and Son Heung-Min to call on up front the Argentine does not have to start the England international if he is not fully fit. Kane could be a very valuable option from the bench against Liverpool and he could well prove to make a decisive impact on the game, if he comes on when the Reds defence is beginning to tire. Pochettino will be pleased that he is likely to be even facing the decision over whether to start Kane, after the forward suffered injury problems towards the end of the campaign. Whether he starts or not Kane will be hopeful he is able to play a part in leading Tottenham to their maiden Champions League triumph.