England given injury scare as Harry Kane is set for scan on ankle

Harry Kane of England against Poland
Harry Kane of England against Poland

England could be set for a World Cup injury blow as Harry Kane requires a scan on an ankle injury.

The England striker took a heavy blow to the ankle in his side’s 6-2 win over Iran on Monday before Callum Wilson replaced him in the second half.

But it is yet to be confirmed if the injury will keep him out of England’s second group game against the USA on Friday, with scan results needed to ascertain the level of damage to the ankle.

After their opening game, England boss Gareth Southgate initially played down fears over an injury to Kane, saying: “I think Harry’s fine.

“It looked like a bad tackle, but he carried on in the game. We took him off because we felt it was a moment in the game we could do that.

But now, according to reports by 90min, Kane is a major doubt for their next game against the United States. He will undergo a scan on Wednesday before the decision is made for who starts on Friday.

Even if the scan shows nothing serious, Southgate may not choose to rest Kane against the USA to protect him. But if Kane can’t play, Southgate can start Wilson or Marcus Rashford, who scored in the win over Iran.

It would be a significant blow for the Three Lions if Kane were sidelined. The Tottenham man is an influential figure in the England set-up and is captain of the team.

Although he did not get himself on the scoresheet against Iran, he laid on assists for Rashford and Raheem Sterling. He is also a proven scorer at major tournaments, scoring six times at the 2018 World Cup and another four at Euro 2020.