Southgate confirms Kane good to go against USA
England manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed captain Harry Kane will be available for Friday’s World Cup clash with the USA.
England’s captain suffered a knock to his right ankle in the second half of Monday’s 6-2 win over Iran and played on for 25 minutes before being substituted after 76 minutes and underwent a scan to determine the severity of the injury.
In an interview with ITV, Southgate said: “He’s good. He’s worked a little bit more individually today, but he’ll be back in with the team tomorrow and all good for the game.
“We just checked him out just to see. I think, sometimes, when you’re treating things, it’s important to know exactly what is there and that was all good.
“It’s not so much the ankle, it’s more the foot. It was a poor challenge, really, but I think it’s one that, fortunately, we’ve got away with reasonably lightly.
“I was [holding my breath] when he went down on the pitch, but once he’d carried on playing, everything has been good.”
Harry Maguire will start for England against USA tomorrow, and is set to win his 50th cap.
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A controversial selection for the starting XI in England’s opening-day win against Iran, Maguire put in one of his most assured performances of the season.
He hit the bar with a header early on and then earned an assist for Bukayo Saka’s first goal.
There were concerns about Maguire’s fitness for the second Group B game after he was forced off against Iran through illness. But he has now recovered and taken a full part in England training.