As Britain faces temperatures as low as -15°, England manager Gareth Southgate will be warmed by the form of Harry Kane. The Tottenham striker is closing in on becoming the first Premier League player to reach 40 goals in a top flight season since Cristiano Ronaldo achieved the feat a decade ago.
Delve deeper though, and the statistics show the underwhelming performance of the country’s other forwards. Exluding Kane, the next of England’s attacking players to appear in the division’s scoring charts is Raheem Sterling, followed by Jamie Vardy, Wayne Rooney, Glenn Murray and Jesse Lingard. Rooney’s international retirement has ruled him out of contention, while neither Sterling nor Lingard can be expected to lead the line should Kane be injured at the World Cup. Although Murray is an orthodox striker, the uncapped 34-year-old is unlikely to be on the plane to Russia.
Upon taking the job, Southgate would have felt optimistic about England’s attack due to the potential exhibited by players such as Marcus Rashford and Danny Welbeck. It was widely considered that it was the need to organise the side’s defence that would be his greatest obstacle to success. Certainly, efforts to resolve England’s defensive troubles remain a work in progress. However, the unexpected signing of Alexis Sanchez at Manchester United and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal this season have hindered Rashford and Welbeck’s already limited opportunities. Collectively, they have scored just seven league goals this season. Another England regular, Daniel Sturridge, has scored two.
The players Southgate would have expected to rely upon this summer are failing to fire. Given the lack of alternatives, an injury to Kane would represent a severe setback to England’s chances.
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