Kane finally the main man for Southgate
GARETH SOUTHGATE is set to confirm Harry Kane’s position as England’s undisputed No 1 striker against Scotland. The Tottenham forward has not played under Southgate since he became manager in October. But Kane is poised to lead the attack for Southgate for the first time at Hampden Park in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier. Southgate has not been able to use the Spurs star due to two separate ankle injuries. Nevertheless, Kane — who Southgate sees as a future England captain — has always been at the forefront of the England manager’s plans. Kane’s chance of starting against the Scots increased yesterday when Jamie Vardy withdrew from the squad with a thigh injury. The Leicester striker felt a twinge in his quadriceps muscle in training at St George’s Park on Tuesday and has withdrawn. His departure has been described as precautionary with Vardy returning to Leicester to be assessed by club medics. He will also be unavailable for the friendly against France in Paris on Tuesday night. No replacement will be called up for the Scotland clash. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford insists he has not been thrown into the England senior set-up too quickly, despite his rapid rise. The 19-year-old was a virtual unknown 18 months ago but is now a fixture in the England squad as a result of his displays for Manchester United. Rashford said: ‘To me, it is not being fast-tracked. There have been a lot of games and I think England and United have both dealt with it in a positive way. I feel comfortable with it. ‘I’m thankful the manager has made the decision for me to be with the seniors and to continue my development. ‘I think we both look at it from the same side.’