Gary Neville shares Harry Kane injury theory ahead of Arsenal vs Bayern Munich clash

Gary Neville has shared his prediction regarding Harry Kane's fitness as England striker hands Bayern Munich worry ahead of Arsenal Champions League clash

Gary Neville has predicted that England captain Harry Kane will withdraw from the squad during the international break. The former Spurs striker is preparing to face Brazil in a friendly on Saturday, followed by another game against Belgium next Tuesday.

Kane picked up an ankle injury during Bayern Munich’s win over Darmstadt last weekend. The 30-year-old underwent a scan and will be assessed by England’s medical staff, though it is unknown whether he will play in either friendly game.

It is the final England camp before Gareth Southgate selects his squad for Euro 2024, meaning there will be plenty of players jostling for their place in the pecking order. However, Gary Neville believes that Kane could be one of several players who withdraw from the Three Lions camp due to the timing of the international break ahead of Bayern's clash with Arsenal in the Champions League next month.

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“I think Harry Kane might pull out the second game,” Neville said on the Stick to Football podcast, sponsored by Sky Bet. “He might play one game or do a deal.

“We refer to it because of [Erling] Haaland and [Kevin] De Bruyne. I called it a couple of weeks ago – I said there’ll be pull outs in March, and straight away the two best players for City are out.”

Neville argued that the March friendlies create tension between club and country, reflecting on his own experiences with Manchester United. The Sky Sports pundit also experienced the other side of the argument as part of England’s coaching staff.

“I coached with Roy Hodgson for four years, [Roy Keane] coached with Ireland, when players pulled out and you knew they weren’t probably injured, you were furious but we knew it happened during our lives,” Neville added.

“This March friendly is a bad one. It’s in the midst of a title run-in, Champions League games, this one should be replayed somewhere, in my opinion. It was always a bad one because you really are thinking club now. Country comes in May when the season’s finished and you’ve got a tournament coming up.”

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