Ex-Arsenal pundit comments on England’s Spurs stars ahead of Spain clash

As much as the Tottenham boys may need a break away from football for a couple of weeks, the England contingent face a strong Spain team this evening.

The likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Kieran Trippier are expected to start, with Eric Dier and Danny Rose on the bench.

The England lads haven’t been rewarded with much of a break since their Russia World Cup heroics, and Paul Merson told the Daily Star that the England gaffer may have been asked to manage their minutes.

He said: “He [Southgate] will play his best players. But that is a problem for Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Kieran Trippier. I keep hearing Tottenham are tired because so many of their players played in the World Cup semi-finals.

“And it wouldn’t surprise me if Gareth’s been asked to manage their minutes here. But there’s pressure on us to win this game. You can’t play at 75 per cent.

“If this was a friendly, Gareth could have given some of the Spurs boys a rest. He knows what they can do. But you can’t do that against Spain in the Nations League. Kane, for example, could probably do with a rest but I think he’ll play.”

With Harry Kane now wearing the armband for his country, it is unlikely that the Tottenham striker will get much of a rest on international duty, especially with the more competitive nature of the games.

Southgate will want to field his strongest team, and build on the positivity of Russia.

Do the Spurs stars, especially Harry Kane, need a rest?

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