Harry Kane has banished the ghosts of Qatar 2022. After scoring twice in England’s 4-2 win against Croatia on Wednesday, the captain is “on top of the world,” according to former England striker Alan Shearer. It took Kane four games and 269 minutes to manage a shot on target at the previous World Cup. This time, he found the net after just 12 minutes and added a second, joining superstars Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi in the early goal-scoring charts. “He had to sit all week with the rest of the England squad and watch all the other games,” Shearer told BBC Sport. “He would have been absolutely desperate to join the party… so to do that after only 12 minutes and go on to get another one as well, is huge for him – and for England.”
Shearer, who captained England at the 1998 World Cup, knows the relief of an early goal. “Honestly, it was a massive relief – not only for the team to get the win, but to get on the scoresheet myself, as captain and our main goalscorer,” he said. Kane’s fitness, questioned after his slow start in Qatar and a sub-par Euro 2024, now looks “peak condition” under Thomas Tuchel, who manages Kane “a lot like Bayern Munich do,” according to Shearer. With Ghana and Panama up next in Group L, “his eyes must be lighting up,” Shearer added.
“Harry Kane scored twice as England beat Croatia, but Bukayo Saka is a doubt for the Ghana game due to injury.”
However, England’s preparations for Sunday’s Group L match against Ghana have been hit by injury concerns. Bukayo Saka trained alone on Friday, according to the Standard, carrying a niggling injury that could open the door for Marcus Rashford or Marc Guehi. Harry Kane and Declan Rice have allayed fitness fears and are expected to start, but the competition for places is fierce. Thomas Tuchel must decide whether to stick with the same XI that beat Croatia or freshen up the attack.
With arguably their toughest group game already out of the way, England have momentum. But Saka’s fitness remains a concern as the Three Lions aim to build on a near-perfect start.