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England stumble without Kane in Wembley defeat
England's 1-0 loss to Japan at Wembley on Tuesday laid bare the team's over-reliance on captain Harry Kane, as manager Thomas Tuchel admitted the squad lacks viable alternatives up front ahead of this summer's World Cup.
Kane's absence exposes striking crisis
Kane, 32, missed the match due to a "minor training issue," but his absence left England toothless in attack. The team managed just one shot on target against Japan, ranked 18th in FIFA's standings, while resorting to long balls and desperate measures in the second half.
Tuchel's experiment with Phil Foden as a false nine failed within an hour, prompting a switch to a more traditional striker in Dominic Solanke. Even then, England struggled to create clear chances, with defender Harry Maguire's header cleared off the line in the dying minutes.
Tuchel: Kane's role is 'totally normal'
Pressed on England's dependence on Kane, Tuchel drew parallels with other nations. "Why would Argentina not rely on Lionel Messi, or Portugal on Cristiano Ronaldo?" he said. "This is totally normal. Key figures left camp for us, and we saw that a bit."
The manager acknowledged the team's lack of "punch in the last 20 metres" in both recent friendlies-a draw with Uruguay and the loss to Japan-without their talisman.
Striker shortage raises long-term concerns
Kane's record speaks for itself: 78 goals in 112 England appearances, with direct involvement in 32% of the team's goals since his 2015 debut. Yet the pipeline behind him is alarmingly thin.
This season, only 10 English strikers have featured in the Premier League, with just two-Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Danny Welbeck (35 this month)-hitting double figures. The total tally of 43 goals by English forwards is a far cry from the 96 scored in 2023-24, even after Kane's departure for Bayern Munich.
"This is the exact situation no England fan wants," said former goalkeeper Paul Robinson on BBC Radio 5 Live. "We've talked about it for over a season. What do England do without Harry Kane? Tuchel doesn't have an answer."
Paul Robinson, former England goalkeeper
World Cup looms as Kane's fitness dominates debate
With 78 days until England's World Cup opener against Croatia on June 17, Kane's fitness is now the team's biggest concern. Alternatives like Ollie Watkins and Solanke have yet to prove themselves, while Calvert-Lewin's form remains inconsistent.
The Wembley crowd's boos at full-time underscored the frustration, with thousands of empty seats mirroring the team's lackluster performance. As Tuchel put it: "We lacked creativity and cutting edge." Without Kane, England's World Cup ambitions appear perilously fragile.
