Harry Kane holds immense value for both the England national team and Bayern Munich, serving as captain and leading goalscorer. However, reports suggest that the striker might see reduced playing time at the upcoming World Cup.

According to Sky Sports, the group-stage venues for England’s matches — located across the USA, Mexico, and Canada — are expected to face high temperatures. As a result, head coach Thomas Tuchel is planning to rotate his squad and rest Kane whenever possible to avoid fatigue.

This approach clarifies why the German coach has opted to include three natural centre-forwards in his final tournament squad — a decision that raised eyebrows among analysts.

“He’s never done that before in any of his qualifying squads,” noted Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett from the England training camp in Miami. The team is currently preparing for a World Cup warm-up fixture against New Zealand in Kansas City.

Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney have been designated as backup options for Kane in Tuchel’s setup.

Among the alternatives are Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa, who recently lifted the Europa League trophy, and Ivan Toney, currently playing for Al-Ahli. Observers anticipate that Kane will start the opener against Croatia, but his playing time could be closely monitored — he might feature for fewer minutes against Ghana and potentially be rested entirely in the final group clash versus Panama.

Turning 33 at the end of July, Kane completed a demanding campaign for Bayern last season, appearing in 51 competitive matches and logging 4,050 minutes on the field. In addition, since September 2025, he has participated in several friendlies and five international fixtures, accumulating more than 400 additional minutes.

Tuchel’s deliberate management of Kane’s workload is aimed at keeping the star striker in peak condition for the knockout rounds, should England advance beyond the group stage.

The Three Lions’ group stage encounters are scheduled to take place in Arlington (Texas), Boston (Massachusetts), and East Rutherford (New Jersey).

Harry Kane’s 2025/26 season performance statistics

Team

Matches

Goals

Assists

Minutes

FC Bayern

51

61

7

4,050 minutes played

England

5

5

-

411 minutes

Total

56

66

7

4,461