José Mourinho expects Harry Kane to play only two Premier League games before Euro 2020.
The Tottenham manager has been without Kane since January 1st, when the striker ruptured his hamstring tendon in the Premier League defeat at Southampton, and he has previously raised the prospect of him missing the rest of the season.
Mourinho said on January 13t that the England captain would be "out until mid-April, end of April, May, next season, I don't know" – a comment that reflected the level of concern he had for his talisman, even if it was undercut by vagueness. As Mourinho prepared for tonight's FA Cup replay at home to Southampton, he was more specific.
“The Leicester match,” Mourinho said when asked about Kane’s return.
Spurs face Leicester at home on the weekend of May 9th/10th before playing their final game of the league season at Crystal Palace on May 17th.
“Maybe we need that match for something. To be fourth, to be fifth, to be sixth. Maybe he can help us in this match. I hope. Is that the best case scenario at the moment? Yes. I think.”
Spurs have indicated that Kane should return to action in mid-April but Mourinho has consistently painted the gloomiest possible picture, which is a worry for both the club and England. Gareth Southgate’s team face Croatia at Wembley on June 14th in their Euro opener and, before that, they have warm-up fixtures away to Austria on June 2nd and at home to Romania on June 7th.
There has long been concern at the Football Association that Kane will be the latest key England player to face a race against time to recover his fitness and form in time for a major championship, a list that is headlined by David Beckham and Wayne Rooney, although Mourinho cares less about that.
"It's a problem for Southgate and for [the England assistant manager] Steve Holland, not for me," Mourinho said. "How would I feel if I were England manager? I don't know. I'm not."
What concerns Mourinho is how Spurs will cope in the absence of any recognised senior No 9 for the majority of the remainder of the season. Mourinho has always relied on a targetman and he was unhappy at the club’s failure to sign one in January.
Important injuries
Spurs did get the winger Steven Bergwijn and the midfielder Gedson Fernandes which, to Mourinho's mind, offset the departure of the playmaker, Christian Eriksen. But he suggested that when the long-term injuries to the midfielder Moussa Sissoko and Kane were factored in, the squad was actually weaker than when it entered January.
“We found our balance [in midfield] ,” Mourinho said. “Without injuries, I would say: ‘Yes, good.’ But we had these problems with important injuries and our squad in this moment is not as good as it can be. When our injured players are back for the next season, of course the squad will be much better.”
Mourinho may have an ulterior motive for setting a cautious comeback date on Kane, who posted a video last Thursday of him working to stretch his hamstring with a resistance band in the gym. Mourinho does not want to put undue pressure on him during his rehabilitation.
“With [Hugo] Lloris, we were speaking about February [for him to return from elbow surgery] and he came back in January,” Mourinho said. “It’s better not to put any kind of expectations, any kind of pressure. Let it go and let’s see. There has not been a setback [for Kane] . Nothing has happened. Everything is okay. He’s having his treatment.”
Mourinho said Dele Alli had a chance of playing tonight after escaping serious injury in Sunday's home win over Manchester City when he was caught by a late Raheem Sterling tackle.
“It’s not as bad [as feared] ,” Mourinho said. “Dele was very lucky.”
