Mauricio Pochettino must not rush Harry Kane back after World Cup heroics

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After winning the Golden Boot by scoring six goals at the World Cup, Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has spoken out about his summer plans ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.

Kane expressed his desire to be fit for the first match of the season on August 11, an unwise decision that Mauricio Pochettino must contradict to protect his player.

“I will hopefully be back for the first game and hopefully try and score in August this year. I want to be playing in four weeks’ time. We’ll have to talk to the gaffer at Spurs.”

These comments from the striker are undoubtedly admirable, as they reveal the tendencies of a player who loves playing football and loves playing for Spurs.

However, as ambitious as Kane’s comments are, the Englishman simply needs a rest.

After an exhausting and arduous domestic campaign where he made 48 appearances across all competitions and scored 41 goals, Kane was stretched to the limit.

Take into account the ankle ligament injury he suffered in March and England’s lengthy World Cup campaign, and it is clear Kane sorely needs the standard three-to-four week rest that players normally enjoy after an international tournament.

Chelsea’s Belgian duo Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois will be given three weeks off following their international exploits. Spurs should follow this example, as Belgium played the same number of matches as England, and Chelsea are logically granting their stars a well-earned break.

If Kane was to be fit by the season opener, he would be afforded just two weeks rest, a situation that Pochettino must not entertain.

Not only would this hurt Kane’s productivity, it would harm his performance for the entire season as he could be sluggish and not up to full fitness.

Tottenham have undergone this before, when the striker was rushed back to the first team fray after being injured this spring against Bournemouth.

As a result, Kane was poor in the FA Cup semifinal and cost Spurs a chance at a trophy; the club should learn from its mistakes and give Harry Kane a proper summer break this time around.