Harry Kane out of Tottenham’s game at Manchester United with hamstring injury

Harry Kane is out of Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League game at Manchester United on Saturday. The striker, who has scored 17 goals in his past 13 matches for Tottenham and England, has not recovered from the hamstring injury that he suffered in the home win over Liverpool last Sunday.

The club described it as a “minor strain to the left hamstring” but it is serious enough to have ruled him out of the game between the teams second and third in the Premier League. Mauricio Pochettino said it was not worth taking the risk, particularly as his team have a Champions League tie against Real Madrid at Wembley next Wednesday. He hoped that Kane could be fit for then.

“For tomorrow, we cannot take a risk,” the manager said. “It’s a minor injury, very small, but we cannot take a risk. We’ll see after for Wednesday against Real Madrid. Tomorrow, it’s impossible.

“It is a blow? Yes. You always want all the players available. It’s a problem. We want them available to play. We always believe in the collective, the squad. During the season, problems happen and you must trust all the players, all the squad. I’ve told you the players are not machines and it’s so difficult to cope with international duty, playing every three days. It’s lucky it’s not a big problem but he’s not going to play tomorrow.”

Pochettino was asked whether Kane had demanded to play at Old Trafford. “No, no,” Pochettino said. “It’s a decision from the doctor and medical staff not to take a risk. It’s no sense to take a risk when the problem is small and we can fix it in a few days, probably.”