England dealt nightmare injury blow before Nations League fixtures
England interim boss Lee Carsley will be sweating over the fitness of one of his key players ahead of the upcoming Nations League matches
Harry Kane has made a flying start to the season again for Bayern Munich, netting five goals in six Bundesliga games, as well as four in two Champions League outings.
The England captain looks set for another prolific season domestically, having hit 44 goals in all competitions last season, despite Bayern’s failure to win any silverware. He will hope that elusive first trophy comes this season.
Bayern were left disappointed on Sunday, though, conceding a last-minute equaliser against Eintracht Frankfurt in a 3-3 draw. And to compound things, there was some bad news for their star striker.
Bayern and England dealt Kane injury blow
Kane, who provided the assist for Michael Olise’s 53rd-minute goal at Frankfurt, was forced off later in the second half after a collision left him clutching his right thigh. The severity of the injury is not yet clear, although it was encouraging that he was able to walk off the pitch before being replaced by Mathys Tel.
It comes as a blow for England's latest squad, who are in Nations League action this week, with games against Greece and Finland. Whether Kane, who recently brought up 100 caps for the national team, will be available for selection remains to be seen.
Bayern boss Vincent Kompany was unable to reveal much when asked about Kane’s condition. He said: “It’s too early to say what’s wrong with him. We hope it’s not that bad.”
Kane is expected to be assessed this week, and both club and country will be hoping for a positive update. Lee Carsley, in particular, will hope to have the talismanic forward available as he looks to impress again in his latest games as interim England manager.
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Kane scored both goals as England beat Finland 2-0 last month, with the reverse fixture set to be played in Helsinki on Sunday. Greece could also be stern opposition, having won their first two games against Finland and Ireland without conceding a goal.
If Kane is unavailable, it could mean an opportunity for the likes of Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke to impress and stake a claim for future starts. It might also give Carsley an opportunity to experiment with his attacking options in a squad stacked with talent.
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For Bayern, the international break comes at the ideal time, with Kane potentially set for a spell on the sidelines. Defender Dayot Upemecano is also injured, so Kompany will be grateful for the break.
The Bavarians are still top of the Bundesliga after an unbeaten start, although they are now level on points with RB Leizpig, while Frankfurt are just a point behind. Champions Bayer Leverkusen are three points off top.
Callum is a football writer who has had work published by the likes of BBC Sport, the Independent, BT Sport and the Blizzard, amongst various others. A lifelong Wrexham fan, he is hoping Ryan Reynolds can lead his hometown club to the promised land.