Kane out for season...but could be fit for England

HARRY KANE has suffered a ‘significant lateral ligament injury to his left ankle’ which effectively rules him out for the season — though he still has a slim chance of recovering in time to lead England at the UEFA Nations League in June.

The Tottenham striker suffered the damage when he challenged Manchester City’s Fabian Delph in the first leg of his team’s 1-0 victory in the Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday, with the club confirming the extent of the injury yesterday.

It is understood the problem is similar to the injury he suffered to the same ankle in January, which looked as though it would rule him out for two months. But the 25-year-old, a fast healer, returned sooner than expected and was playing within five weeks.

And given the new injury is comparable, there is hope Kane can make it back in time for the UEFA Nations League — England’s first game against Holland is on June 6 — and the Champions League final six days earlier, should Tottenham make it that far.

How the early stages of Kane’s rehabilitation go will be vital if he is to prove his fitness for the Nations League finals in Portugal. During his previous stint on the sidelines, Kane flew to the Caribbean for warm- weather recovery sessions, and Spurs may consider doing the same again.

The FA will keep in close contact with Spurs. In the past, England staff have made personal visits to training grounds to check on injured players — a likely scenario with Kane given his importance.

Tottenham have confirmed Dele Alli suffered a broken hand in the win over City, as revealed by

Sportsmail yesterday, but have yet to rule him out of Saturday’s clash with Huddersfield.