Englandboss Gareth Southgate’s plans prestigious friendlies against Germany and Brazil have suffered a blow after Tottenham duo Harry Kane and Harry Winks withdrew from the Three Lions squad due to injury.
Striker Kane suffered a kick to his leg during Sunday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace and underwent a scan yesterday, as did midfielder Winks who turned his ankle against the Eagles.
Southgate responded to the setback by calling up West Brom’s Jake Livermore to bolster his midfield options, while he added Everton centre-half Michael Keane to his party earlier in the day.
Former Middlesbrough manager Southgate is also waiting on the fitness of Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and Gary Cahill of Chelsea prior to Friday’s showdown with world champions Germany and Tuesday’s tussle with Brazil.
Rookie striker Tammy Abraham, meanwhile, insists he is determined to fire himself into Southgate’s World Cup plans by making a goalscoring splash during the next week.
On-loan Chelsea marksman Abraham has scored five goals in 14 appearances for Swansea this season and is one of three uncapped players in Southgate’s experimental squad for the two games.
The 20-year-old, who opted to play for England instead of Nigeria – his father’s country of birth – is ready to stake his claim for regular international game time when the Three Lions begin their World Cup preparations in earnest against illustrious opponents.
“I just want to go out and show the world what I’m truly made of,” said Abraham. “I feel like I’m ready. I just have to keep proving to the manager in training and showing why he picked me and just keep working as hard as I can.”
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