"He's never done that before": Tuchel's World Cup plan with Kane revealed

Harry Kane England 2026

Harry Kane is just as important to the Three Lions as he is to Bayern Munich, both as captain and as a goalscorer. Nevertheless, he may get less playing time at the World Cup than expected.

Sky Sports reports that England's group-stage venues in the USA, Mexico and Canada are expected to experience extreme heat, so Tuchel is likely to give Kane a breather whenever possible.

This move explains why the German manager of the Three Lions has included three specialist centre-forwards in his squad for the finals.

The decision surprised many experts, as "he hadn't done that in any of his squads for the qualifiers," Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett noted from the team's training camp in Miami, where the Three Lions are preparing for their World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand in Kansas City.

England World Cup 2026 Camp Thomas Tuchel

Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney are on standby as cover for Kane.

Alternatives to Kane in Tuchel's squad include Ollie Watkins of Europa League winners Aston Villa and Ivan Toney of Al-Ahli. Experts expect Kane to start against Croatia, but his minutes could be managed: he might play fewer in the second match versus Ghana and, ideally, sit out the final group game against Panama.

Kane, who turns 33 at the end of July, played 51 competitive matches for Bayern last season, spending 4,050 minutes on the pitch, and has added friendly matches and five international fixtures totalling over 400 minutes since September 2025.

By managing Kane's minutes in this way, Tuchel aims to have his star striker at full strength for the knockout phase, should England progress.

The Three Lions will contest their group stage fixtures in Arlington, Texas; Boston, Massachusetts; and East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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