Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that he may not play star striker Harry Kane at the start of next season if he competes with the England U-21’s this summer.
Despite a phenomenal season in which Kane netted 30 goals across all competition, the Tottenham boss has expressed concern that his best player may become overworked if he plays for his national club in the offseason.
Pochettinho wants his players to be fully fit and rested heading into next year’s Premier League season and has threatened to hold Kane out if he winds up suiting up for his English team.
When asked if he would indeed hold Kane out of the first game or two of next year’s season, the Pochettino said, “Yes, maybe”.
Ultimately, the decision is Kane’s. He understands that his manager is not in favour of him playing for the England U-21’s, but playing for the national team is a great honour and Kane is reportedly leaning towards playing for them.
If Kane does in fact choose to play for England this summer, it will be interesting to see if Pochettino is actually serious about holding out his undisputed best player.
Benching Tottenham’s best player would cause an uproar from Spurs fans all over the world. Pochettino likely doesn’t want to deal with controversy right from the start of next season.
On another note, Pochettino confirmed that Kane will be with Tottenham for both of their post-season exhibitions against Malaysia XI and Sydney FC in late May.