Harry Kane: England captain unconcerned by club form ahead of World Cup qualifiers
Harry Kane has scored one Premier League goal for Tottenham this season and is without a goal in his last five games; follow England vs Albania and San Marino with our live blogs and watch highlights shortly after full-time
Thursday 11 November 2021 23:32, UK
Harry Kane says he is not worried about his current form as he focuses on helping England move a step closer to World Cup qualification.
The England captain has scored one Premier League goal for Tottenham this season, while he has failed to score in his last five games in all competitions.
England face Albania at Wembley on Friday, where victory could be enough to clinch their place at Qatar 2022, and Kane is confident he can get back among the goals.
"From my point of view, it's easy for people to make an excuse when you're not on form or scoring as many as you usually do and that's where it's important for my own self-belief, for my own mentality, just to work harder," said Kane.
"That's always been my approach, whether I'm doing really well or the goals don't quite come - is to work hard and train hard for the team and that's what I've done my whole career.
"In this calendar year, it's been a great year for me personally and I hope to continue that on Friday night."
- What do England need to qualify for the World Cup?
- Rice drops out of England squad; Shaw, Mount to miss Albania
Kane has netted three goals in his last four appearances for England, who need four points from their final two games against Albania and San Marino to qualify automatically for Qatar 2022.
Victory over Albania would be enough if Poland drop points away to Andorra but Kane is expecting a difficult match at Wembley.
"I think it's a game that we definitely want to win," he said. "We need four points from these two qualifiers so the quicker you can get three on the board, the better.
"A win would put us in a better position for the San Marino one.
"We expect a really tough game. Albania still have the chance to qualify for the World Cup and we know they'll bring a lot of energy and passion to the game so we need to make sure we match that.
"We feel with our ability, we have more than enough to win the game but it will be a tough battle."
Southgate pleased with preparation despite withdrawals
England's preparations have been impacted by a number of withdrawals and doubts.
Marcus Rashford and James Ward-Prowse were followed in withdrawing from the squad by Declan Rice on Wednesday, while Luke Shaw and Mason Mount are still yet to link up with the group.
"Training has been very good," said England boss Gareth Southgate. "We've obviously had quite a few players who had to withdraw from the squad but we're used to dealing with that.
"It's never straightforward and we've just got on with it. I don't think anybody here would have felt anything unusual in the way we've prepared.
"I've been really happy with the level of training and the attitude of the players and we're looking forward to the game tomorrow."
Live International U21 Football
Asked if Shaw and Mount would miss the San Marino match as well as the clash with Albania, Southgate said: "Well, I've got to check in with our medical staff for today's update.
"Obviously, the longer it goes, the less likely that is. Different situations, really.
"Mason's got to recover from this dental surgery. With Luke, there's obviously very strict guidelines on concussion markers and I know in the early part of the week, the first day he didn't pass the marker, so that all gets shifted back.
"So, rightly, we've got to follow the guidelines on that. We might run out of time. We'll just have to see."
There is better news in regard to Jack Grealish, who Southgate says is "ready if required" having trained with the group on Thursday after illness interrupted the start of his week.
Uncapped Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe also provides an exciting option having been brought up from the England U21s squad following the initial withdrawals.
"I think we've brought him here to be involved with the team, and with a view to being involved in the two matches," Southgate said. "He's settled really well.
"He obviously knows a couple of his club team-mates, Phil (Foden) from when he was in the U17s, and this is a group that makes young players and new players very welcome.
"So I don't think it's a difficult environment to fit in. His quality has been apparent in the way he's trained. So he's ready, and we've enjoyed having him with us this week already."
