March 23, (THEWILL) – England captain, Harry Kane, is set to miss Saturday’s high-profile friendly against Brazil at Wembley, due to an ankle injury. The 30-year-old Bayern Munich striker sustained the problem in their 5-2 victory over Darmstadt last weekend. Gareth Southgate, the England manager, confirmed that Kane is “extremely doubtful” to feature against Belgium next Tuesday as well.
Despite Kane’s absence, England remain favourites to triumph over a rebuilding Brazil side under new head coach Dorival Junior. The Selecao have won 10 of their last 11 friendlies against European opposition but are looking to avoid four consecutive defeats for the first time since 2001. Southgate acknowledged the challenge, stating, “We’re going to be tested in every aspect of our game, and that’s going to be a great challenge for us.”
The injuries have opened up opportunities for Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney to stake their claim as Kane’s understudy for the Euro 2024 campaign in Germany this June. Watkins has scored three goals in nine internationals, while Toney made his sole England appearance against Ukraine last year before serving an eight-month ban. Southgate admitted the need to decide on the number of strikers to take to the Euros, considering their “different attributes”.
Ajax midfielder Jordan Henderson and Chelsea forward Cole Palmer have also been ruled out of the Brazil clash due to injuries, joining Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka on the sidelines. However, Southgate expressed optimism about Henderson and Palmer’s chances of recovering in time for the Belgium friendly, which will be England’s final preparation match before the Euro 2024 squad announcement.
England, boasting a favourable record against top opponents in recent years, will aim to create history by defeating Brazil for only the fifth time in 27 meetings. Southgate views the high-profile friendly as “another opportunity for us to put a marker down” ahead of the European Championship.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
