With less than two weeks to go until the biggest game in Tottenham's history, major question marks still remain over the fitness of talismanic striker Harry Kane.
The England captain has not featured since the first leg of Spurs' Champions League quarter final tie against Manchester City on April 9th, where he suffered ligament damage to his left ankle. It was presumed he would miss the remainder of the season as a result, although he may now be fit to play in Madrid on June 1st.
The Evening Standard are reporting that the player himself is sure that he will be fit for the Champions League final showdown against Liverpool. He will step up his recovery over the coming week, and is expected to be available for selection in the Wanda Metripolitano.
This would not be the first case of Kane returning from injury earlier than expected. The striker has made a habit of coming back into the team ahead of schedule in recent seasons, although that has often only resulted in him suffering further injuries.
There is no way he will miss the opportunity to play in this final, however, regardless of the long term effects his swift return may have.
England are also set to play in the UEFA Nations League tournament starting on June 6th, another event Kane will not want to miss out on.
Gareth Southgate has announced his squad for the UEFA Nations League finals, with Harry Kane included. 🦁🦁🦁
Nathan Redmond and Harry Winks are also named but Luke Shaw misses out.— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 16, 2019
How big of an impact he can make in the final remains to be seen. It will be the best part of two months since the 25-year old featured for Spurs by the time June 1st rolls around. While he may be medically cleared to play, his match sharpness will surely be severely lacking.
There is also the issue of who should make way in the starting lineup should Kane be brought straight back in. Lucas Moura was the hero in Amsterdam, scoring a hat trick to book his side's place in the final. Heung-Min Son has also been in similarly devastating form.
Fitting all three in the team, as well as Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli, would be a risky move from Mauricio Pochettino. Liverpool have one of the most hard working midfields in the game at the moment, and you imagine it would be difficult to accommodate both Alli and Eriksen in the middle third.
Regardless of any issues around his match fitness, it seems Kane will certainly make himself available for selection.
