Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino clarified that he took off Harry Kane in Spurs’ 4-1 win over Liverpool on Sunday because the striker was tired and not because he had injured himself.
“Harry was tired after playing three matches back-to-back and I took him off because he was fatigued, not because he was injured,” the Spurs manager told Sky Sports after the match.
Kane scored a brace to guide the Lilywhites to their most impressive result this season but fans were alarmed when the striker went down clutching his hamstring late in the second-half.
The 24-year-old was replaced by Fernando Llorente in the 88th minute and with Spurs facing a testing fixture list in October and November, Pochettino may just rest Kane in their next game.
Tottenham host West Ham United in a EFL Cup tie on Wednesday night and it is likely that Llorente will start in place of the in-form Kane.
For Spurs then travel to Manchester United for a high-stakes Premier League clash on Saturday before hosting Spanish giants Real Madrid for a mid-week tie that might just decide the winner of their UEFA Champions League group.
So far, Kane has started 12 games for Spurs (Premier League and Champions League) and has notched an impressive 13 goals in that span. He’s played over 1000 minutes this season and while he is still young, the striker is perhaps due a rest and Pochettino might be inclined to exclude him from the match day squad for the West Ham tie altogether.
In his place, new signing Llorente is expected to start against the Hammers, who have been struggling in the Premier League this season. The Spaniard, signed from Premier League side Swansea in the summer, is yet to open his account for the Lilywhites.