‘If the final was today I would be fit to play’: Harry Kane insists he’s ready to start for Tottenham against Liverpool in Champions League final after recovering from ankle injury
- Harry Kane sustained an ankle injury against Manchester City on April 9
- He believes he is fit to play in Spurs’ Champions League final against Liverpool
- The striker has undergone intense rehabilitation to ensure he is fit for the match
Harry Kane has given Tottenham an enormous boost by declaring himself fit for Saturday’s Champions League final – and has started applying gentle pressure on Mauricio Pochettino to trust him against Liverpool.
The Spurs striker has not featured since injuring his ankle in the quarter-final first leg against Manchester City on April 9.
But after seven weeks of intense rehabilitation he is set to return for the biggest match in Tottenham’s history.
Harry Kane offered Mauricio Pochettino a fitness boost by declaring he was fit to play in final
‘If the final was today I would be fit to play,’ he said on Monday after resuming full training with the first-team squad on Friday.
‘I feel good. I started to feel my way back with the team at the end of last week. There have been no problems so far. For me this week now is to get the fitness as high as possible. Then it’s down to the manager. Like I said, I feel good. The manager will assess it and decide whether I’m ready to go or not. But so far, I feel good and ready.
‘I did a lot of work on my own to get me into a good place to go back with the team. Since I’ve been with them, I’ve been full training, doing everything. I’m at a place now where I’m ready to go for any game but again, it’s down to the manager.’
The striker has not played since sustaining an ankle injury against Manchester City on April 9
Kane, who confirmed he will be fit enough to manage the demands of the final and England’s Nations League semi-final on June 6, added: ‘Having the three-week gap after the end of the season definitely helped. From when it happened, I could put a plan in place to be ready for this game. We took our time with it. We’ve had longer than we had for the other ankle injuries. It’s worked out well. So I slowly took my time and now I’m in a good place.’
The recovery of a striker who scored 17 times in the top flight and a further five on the Champions League run will pose a dilemma of sorts for Pochettino. It is not yet certain if Kane is fit to start or will be deemed most suitable from the bench, but if he is in the first XI it could mean dropping Lucas Moura, whose hat-trick against Ajax took Spurs to the final in Madrid.
Pochettino was non-committal on Monday when discussing how Kane might be used. He said: ‘It is very positive, the situation with him. We have one week ahead to see how he is progressing. I cannot say if he’ll be 100 per cent fit or starting, or on the bench or out. But good progression like Harry Winks, Jan Vertonghen and Davison Sanchez for the final.’
Spurs boss Pochettino is happy with the progress of his players returning from injury