Darren Bent explains one advantage Harry Kane will have after a lengthy layoff

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent believes Harry Kane will benefit from the fact that all the players will be returning to competitive action after a lengthy lay off.

The Spurs striker is expected to start against Manchester United tomorrow in what will be his first competitive match in almost six months.

There could be question marks over how the striker’s body will respond to competitive action after such a lengthy spell without any football.

The 26-year-old has admitted that he is fully fit and raring to go for the restart (Sky Sports).

However, there have been instances in the past when Kane has been rushed back too quickly to the detriment of both himself and the team, including in last year’s Champions League final.

Bent believes Jose Mourinho will not have to worry about easing the England captain back and could confidently throw him straight into the deep end since all players are in the same boat concerning their match fitness.

When asked if Kane should be named in the starting line up straight away, Bent told Football Insider: “It’s a difficult one because we saw what happened in the Champions League final, they threw him straight back in, he quite clearly wasn’t fit and it backfired.

“Listen, I understand everyone’s had a long layoff and that’s what Mourinho might think: ‘I can throw him straight in, it’s not like he’s been injured and everyone else has continued so everyone’s up to speed, he’s going to be going back into a situation where everyone’s in the same boat.’

“You might as well say everyone’s been injured because they’ve all been off for three months. I think in this type of situation, I don’t think he’ll have too many doubt or worries about throwing Harry Kane back in.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The lack of match fitness will not only be an issue for the likes of Kane and Sissoko but every single player. As seen with the Bundesliga, it might take teams two to three matches to hit their stride and develop a certain level of fitness. However, the problem is that we have no choice but to hit the ground running if we are to give ourselves the best chance of finishing in the top four.

Related Topics