Spurs ‘can cope’ without Kane

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has insisted his side do not need to prove they can win without Harry Kane as they head to Manchester United today without the injured forward.

Kane has already hit 13 goals for Spurs this season but was forced off late on in last weekend’s 4-1 win over Liverpool with a hamstring issue.

The 24-year-old will not feature against United as Tottenham look to address a recent poor record at Old Trafford and leapfrog Jose Mourinho’s side in the Premier League table.

Pochettino said he was not willing to take a “risk” by involving Kane, who hit a brace against Liverpool before his late injury.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola recently labelled Tottenham as “the Harry Kane team” but Pochettino pointed to last term, when Spurs coped without Kane as he nursed an ankle injury, as proof they can be successful without their talisman.

“We don’t need to prove ourselves, that we’re Tottenham,” he said. Maybe people expect that but for us, no. I think last season, in the period he was injured, you can see the stats and the games we played – win and lose with Harry, win and lose without Harry.”

Pochettino could hand summer signing Fernando Llorente his full Premier League debut in place of Kane, while utilising Son Heung-min as an out-and-out striker is also a possibility.

Harry Kane was injured last weekend.