More than 11 years ago, Harry Kane came on as a substitute for Wayne Rooney at Wembley to make his England debut against Lithuania. Just 80 seconds later, he scored his first goal for the "Three Lions".
Since then, Kane has become the greatest scorer in England's history with 78 goals, and also the most important player of the team for more than a decade. Many opinions suggest that England is unlikely to win the World Cup without him or when he is not in his best form.
However, coach Thomas Tuchel is forced to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Injury, suspension or physical exhaustion in hot and humid weather conditions in North America could all cause Kane to be absent.
So what is the backup plan in attack? Who can replace Kane? In the friendly match against Uruguay at Wembley, the opportunity was given to two "Dominics", Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The important thing is that they understand this is a great opportunity to train and play without Harry Kane. They need to compete to have the opportunity to start and accumulate quality playing minutes" - the captain of the England team said.
However, Tuchel affirmed that Kane is still the captain and number one choice. The issue lies in whether if the team needs to change, should he withdraw Kane? Is there any option for him to come on from the bench? Or does a striker need to be able to play alongside Kane? These are questions that the coaching staff must find answers to.
In fact, Kane will turn 33 right after the 2026 World Cup. With a dense schedule with Bayern Munich before the tournament, he can hardly play all matches in harsh conditions.
Names like Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden or Jarrod Bowen can take on the number 9 role, but Tuchel wants a true striker to ensure balance in the squad.
He has now narrowed down his options to Ollie Watkins, Solanke and Calvert-Lewin. Watkins has lost form, Solanke has injury problems, and Calvert-Lewin has just returned after a long absence.
A noteworthy detail is that Tuchel emphasized the penalty kick factor. Besides Kane, Cole Palmer has a very high success rate, while the remaining strikers are not really outstanding in this aspect.
Overall, Kane replacement options still have a large gap in class and effectiveness. This is clearly Tuchel's most difficult problem before the 2026 World Cup. Kane is the biggest strength, but without him, England could reveal the biggest weakness.
I think it is reasonable when we look at the schedule for April, May and then the World Cup, trying to take advantage of this time to be as energetic as possible during that period.
For me and my teammates to rest, you must use it wisely, you must maintain physical strength, maintain form, but also have mental rest and be ready" - Kane supported Tuchel's decision to let him rest.
