Thomas Tuchel has declared that Harry Kane is in peak physical condition and prepared to spearhead England's quest for World Cup glory. The Bayern Munich striker, who has faced fitness struggles at previous major tournaments, has enjoyed an outstanding season in Germany and demonstrated excellent form in training this week.
England have travelled to Florida to acclimatise to the high temperatures expected at the World Cup, working under challenging conditions at their pre-tournament base in West Palm Beach. Tuchel emphasised the importance of recovery and acknowledged that the team's success heavily depends on Kane avoiding injury. Despite a difficult Euro 2024 campaign, the nation's all-time leading scorer remains a talismanic figure, and the manager has full confidence in him ahead of Saturday's warm-up match against New Zealand in Tampa.
“He looks in top shape,” Tuchel said. “He looks lean, sharp and he trains at the highest level. We had a defensive training session today and he was leading the intensity. He is so used to the high press from Bayern Munich and the intensive game that they play in the opponents’ half. He is leading by example. I think he is in the best shape. He is ready to go. We don’t have to be worried about him at all, even if it is hot in June. He has showed me the whole week that he is ready. He is our key player.”
The New Zealand game will kick off at 4pm local time (9pm BST), with forecast temperatures of 32°C and humidity around 40%. Tuchel plans to field two different lineups in each half at the Raymond James Stadium, focusing on building his squad's energy levels. “Some of them need a load, some of them need a recovery,” the German said. “We give 45 to everyone. We will try to keep Harry fit and play him as much as possible but hopefully we will have the chance to not need to play him every match 90 or 120 minutes.”
Tuchel indicated that Ollie Watkins will serve as Kane's understudy, while Ivan Toney is viewed as a wildcard for specific situations. “I think Ollie is more the guy we need to start for Harry, if we think Harry should not start a match,” he said. “He can keep the intensity up, to keep the press going. Ivan is kind of a finisher for us. Maybe it’s a special task to take the attention off Harry. Then we have a second striker who’s very, very good in the box. He’s a good penalty taker. He trains on a high level. I’m very happy with him. He just showed that it was right to take him. He has a brilliant attitude. We have some options but Harry is, of course, the main guy in front.”
Tuchel downplayed concerns about the pitch in Tampa, which is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “We have a greenkeeper who takes care of it and I hope it will be all right,” he said. “It is an American football pitch. We are told it is OK. I saw just a photo, that made me a little bit worried but let’s decide when we are there.”
England's final friendly is against Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday. Their first World Cup group match is against Croatia in Dallas on 15 June, allowing time to adapt to the hot weather. The Arsenal players in the squad have been given permission to arrive in Florida late after last weekend's Champions League final and will not feature against New Zealand.
