England captain Harry Kane will miss Thursday’s friendly against Wales due to a minor ankle injury, manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed.
The 32-year-old sustained the knock during Bayern Munich’s 3-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday and subsequently missed England training this week. While the injury is not serious, the medical team has opted for caution ahead of next Tuesday’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
“Harry will miss the game — he got a kick in his last match, and it’s too painful and risky for him to play,” Tuchel said. “We’re giving him time to let it calm down, and we’re convinced he’ll be ready for Latvia.”
In Kane’s absence, Jordan Henderson, John Stones, or Declan Rice will captain the team at Wembley. The fixture marks England’s first meeting with Wales since their 3-0 win at the 2022 World Cup.
Before the injury was confirmed, Wales boss Craig Bellamy described Kane as “the most complete player I have ever seen.”
Former England goalkeeper Rob Green told BBC Radio 5 Live that Kane will be eager to return as soon as possible, with one eye on breaking further scoring records.
“He’ll want to play against Latvia — he’s chasing numbers and records,” Green said. “England are almost certain to qualify now, and no one’s taking that No. 9 shirt from him. The only threat to that is injury.”
Kane’s absence may be short-term, but it underlines England’s heavy reliance on their captain and record goalscorer. The Bayern Munich striker has netted 74 goals in 109 appearances, while the rest of the current squad have a combined total of just 53.
Since making his debut in 2015, Kane has contributed 26.4% of all England goals, with Raheem Sterling — last capped in 2022 — being the only other player to reach 20 goals in that period.
Given the friendly nature of the fixture and England’s comfortable position in World Cup qualifying, Tuchel may use the opportunity to experiment with attacking options.
Ollie Watkins appears the most likely candidate to start. The Aston Villa striker has become Kane’s regular understudy, notably scoring the decisive goal against the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semi-final. Watkins has five goals in 19 caps but only one for Villa this season.
Marcus Rashford is another possibility. Currently on loan at Barcelona, Rashford typically operates from the left but has significant experience as a central forward. His 18 international goals make him the second-highest scorer in Tuchel’s squad.
Anthony Gordon, who impressed in a central role during England Under-21s’ 2023 Euro triumph, could also be tested. The Newcastle forward has just one senior goal from 14 appearances but remains highly rated by Tuchel’s coaching staff.
Beyond the current squad, Ivan Toney — now playing in Saudi Arabia — remains eligible after featuring against Senegal in June. Meanwhile, Dominic Solanke is sidelined with injury, and Liam Delap, who joined Chelsea after a breakout season with Ipswich, is unavailable with a hamstring issue.
Interestingly, the top English scorer in the Premier League this season is Burnley’s Jaidon Anthony, an uncapped winger who has already netted four goals.
While Kane’s injury is not expected to keep him out long, it serves as a reminder of England’s lack of depth in the centre-forward position. As Tuchel looks to balance short-term results with long-term planning, identifying a reliable deputy for the national team’s all-time leading scorer remains one of his most pressing challenges.
