I’m really happy that Harry Kane has been declared fit to England to face USA but we have to take care of him – and Gareth Southgate could still look to Marcus Rashford to lead the line if he doesn’t want to risk his captain.
Kane was able to train after injuring his ankle in our 6-2 win over Iran, and a CT scan showed that there is no serious damage, but it was a reminder that we need to consider who would replace him in Qatar if necessary – and I’m happy with our options.
The most obvious plan B is to put Newcastle striker Callum Wilson up front, as he plays in midfield for his club and he can play at least part of the provider role that Kane does so well.
I was so happy with Wilson’s decision to switch to Jack Grealish for our final goal on Monday rather than get shot, and that’s the kind of collective thinking Southgate will love.
If he thinks we need some sort of backboard against USA or any other team – a player to nurture so he can play with other people – then Wilson is the best man for the job.
We know Southgate picks players they trust
I still think Rashford will get the nod if Kane rests on Friday, though. From what we know of Southgate’s management style, there is a pecking order in his team based on the players he trusts.
We’ve seen that with his selection of the likes of Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount, and Bukayo Saka also falls into that category now – if he’s fit, he starts. The same goes for players who are outside his first-choice XI as well.
With what Rashford has done for England in the past and the goals he has scored, he is probably ahead of Wilson, who has only just returned to the team after a three-year absence.
We know Rashford is more effective in a wide position and prefers to play on the left of Manchester United’s attack, but his pace is still a threat in the middle.
I trust him and Wilson so honestly I don’t think it matters too much who our center forward is against USA – we should win anyway – but we will definitely need Kane when we come up against tougher opposition.
He’s been criticized for falling deep for England in the past, but we’ve seen against Iran how well it suits our system, with runners going over him and going down both flanks. Neither Wilson nor Rashford can do exactly what he does.
Some of Kane’s crosses against Iran were so good he reminded me of David Beckham, who provided the best deliveries in the box of anyone I’ve seen in my playing days.
The one he put in for Sterling was on par with Becks at his best, so fingers crossed he’s OK for the rest of the tournament.
Should England change anything else?
There is an argument that if Kane is fit we should stay with the same team that scored six goals against Iran – clearly no one deserves to be let down after that – but I have the feeling that Southgate might want to give Kyle Walker a few minutes.
Walker hasn’t played since picking up a groin injury in the Manchester derby on October 2 and we’ve been told he’s not fit for the Group B opener.
Southgate will move to three at the back at some point in this tournament and, when they do, Walker will feature on the right side of that trio. That’s why he’s here, but he needs time on the pitch to regain his sharpness.
We may not see that system change against USA, but regardless of the formation, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Walker come in to start at right-back. If he is close to form, he will definitely feature at some point.
I like the fact that we have involved so many players already and people have had an impact off the bench against Iran.
For two of the substitutes, Rashford and Grealish, scoring was truly perfect and of course Wilson created one as well.
Of the 26-man squad, 16 are already on the pitch and all will feel like they’ve contributed.
The unique circumstances of this Winter World Cup mean the players are in fine form having been in the middle of their domestic season, and it feels like Southgate is doing its best to keep them bubbling by involving so many between them as possible. It is exactly the right thing to do.
More pace and precision in passing, please
So far, I’ve talked about everything from an England perspective – who we could bring in if Kane is out, and everything that could meet our team’s needs in the tournament as a whole.
I certainly don’t think Southgate will make any changes to their squad or roster specifically to deal with the opposition; his decisions are on our terms because I don’t think we have to worry about how the United States will hurt us.
Again, this game will be all about breaking down the opposition, and they will provide a different test for Iran, who sat on the edge of their own box and allowed us to dictate play in their own half.
Pressing high, on the other hand, is almost the mantra for the United States, and it should be a useful game for us to develop how we beat their press and get the ball going, progressing in every part of the field.
We’ll have to find the right balance between Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham through depth to get the ball off their defenders, and make sure we get Bellingham forward as well.
The fluidity of our movement and the way we passed so quickly and precisely was one of the best things about Monday’s performance.
If we do it again, we’ll win – and book our place in the last 16 with one game to lose.
Martin Keown was talking to Chris Bevan in Doha.
