Harry Kane’s swollen ankle heavily strapped after USA draw, but England captain may not get a rest

Harry Kane’s ankle problem seemed as bad as ever in the moments following England’s disappointing 0-0 draw with the US.

The Tottenham Hotspur underwent a scan of his swollen ankle earlier this week but was found fit to keep the captain’s armband in an unchanged squad for England’s second game.

However, Gareth Southgate’s side failed to build on the momentum of Monday’s 6-2 win against Iran with the goalless draw at Al Bayt Stadium, where they struggled to create clear chances.

Harry Kane’s ankle injury seemed particularly concerning after England’s 0-0 draw with the US

The England captain was seen with a swollen ankle undergoing a scan on Wednesday

It meant England failed to secure their place in the knockout stages and had to avoid a heavy defeat to Wales to progress.

However, Kane’s involvement will be questioned, especially based on the footage that showed the strapping of the 29-year-old’s swollen ankle.

In the moments following the draw, Kane went into the crowd to kiss his wife Katie Goodland and catch up with his family.

After the match, Kane did not comment on his ankle problem and instead focused on the nature of the result.

According to England Football, Kane said: It certainly wasn’t our best performance. We had some good periods with the ball and created some good positions. We just didn’t quite have the final product. It was a great clean sheet and puts us in a great position in the group.

After the draw, Kane went into the crowd to catch up with his wife and family

Katie Goodland, left, sat in the stands at Al Bayt Stadium during Friday’s late kick-off

“It was just about being clinical. It was in stark contrast to the game against Iran, when we finished our chances well. Today we had two or three good chances and didn’t completely destroy them. It is a strong team and we will continue.

“They pressed really well, we knew before the game they were going to come out and give us a hard time. I sometimes thought we handled it well. They are a good side, you have to respect them. A draw is not the end of the world for us and puts us in a good position in the group. We look forward to the next one.

“We’re sure we can play better than that. It’s a draw at a World Cup, no game is easy at a World Cup. After the first performance, people thought we were going to crush every team we played. That is not the case. We found a very organized team with some quality players and we had to respect that. A clean slate is very nice. A point is not what we came here for, but it puts us in a very good position.’

After the game, Kane said a point was a good result and praised the USA as “a really organized team”

England must avoid a heavy defeat to Wales to progress to the group stage, but without certainties Southgate might be reluctant to make too many changes.

Kane will want to play a part in the knockout stage and that could mean postponing the game against England’s neighbors to ease the strain on his ankle.

The England captain failed to score in the Euro 2020 group stage, but scored crucial goals against Germany, Ukraine and Denmark as Southgate’s side reached last year’s competition final.

Kane also failed to score in the group stage at Euro 2020, but conceded crucial goals in later rounds