Friday 16 March 2018 10:11, UK
Gareth Southgate says England must be prepared to cope without star man Harry Kane at this summer's World Cup.
Kane, who has scored 35 goals for Spurs this season, is out until next month after suffering an ankle injury following a collision with Asmir Begovic in Sunday's 4-1 win at Bournemouth.
He will miss England's game in Holland on March 23 and the visit of Italy on March 27 and Southgate knows, despite being confident over Kane's fitness, he needs a contingency plan in Russia.
He said: "I've had Harry available for six out of 14 games so far, so we always need a 'what-if' scenario planning in our minds.
"I'm very clear. At this stage we want to be keeping options available because as you've seen with Harry, something can happen at the drop of a hat.
"Players are developing quickly and we have some good young players who are coming through, youngsters developing at rate of knots.
"I'm very comfortable with the team I'd pick tomorrow, but equally I can't just have that in my head because in this job, things change.
"We are experimenting with some players we think we need to know might come into the fringes of the squad.
"But we also have to accept we are not as far down the path as Brazil are and Germany in having a more settled team.
"Also our young players are developing so quickly and we have faith in them over a longer period of time so to give them experience now is critical."
Kane was sidelined for 10 games last season with a similar problem and injured the ankle again in March 2017, leaving him out for a month.
But the England boss feels the 24-year-old has been unfortunate and does not feel his ankle is likely to be a recurring injury concern.
Southgate said: "I think if you look at the nature of the injuries he's had they are contact injuries, ligament ones, but forced ligaments injuries through tackles.
"He's as robust as any player we have got, he's just unfortunate to be in collisions where he's going in where it hurts.
"To score goals, you have to put your body on the line. He is one of the players we are least concerned about in terms of robustness."
