Harry Kane This article is more than 7 years oldTottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino says Harry Kane could be affected by mask
This article is more than 7 years old Manager believes striker’s peripheral vision could be affected‘Harry is still learning about how to deal with being a leader’
Mauricio Pochettino is worried that Harry Kane has been affected by the mask the striker must wear to protect his nose, as a result of breaking it during Tottenham Hotspur’s FA Cup defeat to Crystal Palace two weeks ago.
The player suffered the injury when he was caught by an elbow and he underwent an operation to fix it. He was not allowed to play in the Europa League last-32 second leg against Fiorentina because he had had a general anaesthetic the day before and he has since not scored in the Premier League games against Swansea City and West Ham United.
In the 1-0 defeat at West Ham, Kane missed a couple of chances, when he was fractionally too slow to react, and Pochettino wondered whether the mask had affected his peripheral vision which, the manager pointed out, was vital for creative players.
“He’s playing with a mask and sometimes it can disturb you,” he said. “Maybe it’s easier for Nemanja Matic [the Chelsea defensive midfielder, who has worn a mask] or different players that play behind, because creativity is not their problem. But you need to be sharp when you are offensive and creative.”
Kane will wear the mask for a minimum of three more weeks, according to Pochettino, who gave his backing to the player he named as one of two vice-captains at the beginning of the season.
“Against West Ham, Harry had two or three clear chances to score,” Pochettino said. “He was unlucky. It happens. I have full confidence in him. Sometimes, there is a period in which it is difficult to score. He is not a machine.
“Harry is still learning about how to deal with being a leader and top scorer and one of the key players at Tottenham and the national team. It is not an easy job, but we are happy in the way that he has developed his leadership.”
Kane did not realise that he had broken his nose against Palace and he played on until the end. Typically, he has shrugged off the inconvenience of the mask. “Once you start playing, you kind of forget it is on,” he said. “It’s all good.”
Kane’s focus is on the north London derby at home to Arsenal on Saturday, the fixture he decided last season with two goals – the second, a late headed winner.
The 22-year-old has scored 19 times for Tottenham this season, plus two for England, but he has none in his past four appearances. As the club’s only recognised senior striker he has shouldered a heavy burden and he has missed two games all season – the largely meaningless final Europa League group tie against Monaco, for which he was an unused substitute, and Fiorentina.
Tottenham fans have dreaded an injury to Kane so they can be relieved that it is only his nose he has hurt.
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