KANE EURO FEARS
Jose admits England star may only be fit for Spurs’ last two games
JOSE MOURINHO has sparked fears that England captain Harry Kane will only have two Tottenham games to regain full match fitness before the Euros.
The Spurs boss has earmarked Tottenham’s final two matches of the season for Kane to make his return from his hamstring injury — which will give him just over a month to prepare for Euro 2020.
Mourinho believes Spurs’ Premier League fixtures against Leicester on May 9 and Crystal Palace on May 17 are realistic targets for Kane, especially if his side have something significant to play for, such as qualifying for the Champions League.
Asked when Kane will be able to play again Mourinho, after a lengthy pause for thought, replied: ‘I think these matches (Leicester and Palace). Maybe we need them for something. To be fourth, to be fifth, to be sixth. Maybe we need them for something and he can help us. I hope.
‘Everything is OK. He’s having his treatment. There’s no pressure, he keeps going, no setback. With Hugo Lloris we were speaking about February and he came back in January. It’s better not to put any kind of expectations, any kind of pressure. Let it go and let’s see.’
Kane has been out since having surgery last month after injuring his hamstring against Southampton on New Year’s Day.
Spurs had predicted an April return to training for Kane and he hopes to begin running outdoors next month. He has been sent to the Caribbean to continue his rehab with some warm weather training.
England will play friendlies against Austria and Romania at the start of June as Gareth Southgate’s side build up to their Euro 2020 campaign, which begins against Croatia on June 14.
And so, if Mourinho’s predictions are correct Kane would have only four matches to build up his fitness for the tournament, which would lead to inevitable worry about his condition.
Mourinho said: ‘That’s a problem for Southgate and (his assistant) Steve Holland, not for me.’
Asked how he would feel if he was England manager, Mourinho added: ‘I don’t know. I’m not.’
Spurs face Southampton tonight in an FA Cup fourth round replay — in the middle of what was supposed to be their twoweek winter break.
‘I don’t like the way the break is, especially because there is no attention to when you play Champions League,’ said Mourinho. ‘It would be much more normal for us to be playing this weekend and not playing before we play against
Leipzig (on February 19). But no, you have a break then you play against Aston Villa on Sunday, not Saturday or Friday but Sunday. So they give you 10 days of break, but then you play on the Sunday, when you then play Leipzig on the Wednesday.
‘So, for me, the break doesn’t make any sense the way it is. But I don’t complain, it is what it is.’
FORMER Spurs right back Kieran Trippier has had groin surgery which may rule the England international out of the first leg of Atletico Madrid’s Champions League last-16 clash against Liverpool on February 18.