England captain Harry Kane has been declared fit to face Latvia

England captain Harry Kane has been declared fit to play as the Three Lions prepare to secure their spot in next year’s World Cup with a victory over Latvia on Tuesday.

The super striker was unavailable in the last week as England won 3 goals to 0 against Wales in a friendly match because of an ankle injury, which he sustained during his stay in Bayern Munich, and this raised questions about his availability. Nevertheless, England manager Thomas Tuchel affirmed that Kane is fit to be in the starting line at Riga, after he underwent a full training over the weekend.

On Monday, Tuchel told reporters that Kane was in a superb state and it was no big deal to put him in the game. He said that the forward was in good shape and he was prepared and that the short rest was the correct decision to make so that he could be back on his feet. Tuchel was optimistic that Kane might feature in the whole game and that the break was only a temporary one and that the striker has played all the matches previously with Bayern.

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The fact that Kane was back gives a significant boost to England particularly after Ollie Watkins was forced out of the team after sustaining an injury in the Wales match. Watkins is said to have crashed against a goalpost in the process of scoring and has since been taken back to Aston Villa. It was too painful, Tuchel clarified, and indeed the striker would be concentrating on the recovery with his club.

England on the Verge of Qualification.

England, who are currently on top of Group K, can have their World Cup qualification with only two games to go on their hands as long as they win against Latvia. The team has been performing remarkably with all of their five matches during the group stage being won without a single goal being conceded. They are four points ahead of second place Albania and they have a game in hand.

In recent months, Tuchel has seen significant improvement of his men. England have since delivered a formidable performance at Wembley in March, which was their 3-0 win over Latvia and it was the second game under Tuchel and they have since then beaten Serbia by 5-0 and last week soundly beat Wales in the first half.

Following a difficult beginning of his tenure, Tuchel currently feels that the team is moving in the right direction. We are creating something, I feel we are going in the right direction, he said. Nevertheless, he reminded his players that the next day is the hardest match, and they need to be respectful of the team they are playing and the situation in which they are playing.

Tuchel’s Vision Taking Shape

During his tenure since he came into the club in January, Tuchel has aimed to create a club-like environment in the England camp, promoting the intensity of the premier leagues in each game. The new performances indicate that his philosophy is becoming rooted.

“The soul and the flow are obviously present,” Tuchel said. “The game players are in full concentration. They have quality awareness and joy in their training. You can sense it. Everyone has made an impact.”

Since England seek to continue their streak of games without defeat and secure their spot in the World Cup, Kane will be under the spotlight as his leadership abilities and goal-scoring skills will be essential to the emerging team of Tuchel.