Antonio Conte made it clear at the end of August that he would have to rest Harry Kane at some point in the weeks ahead due to Tottenham's hectic schedule. Facing games every three days, the matches keep on coming thick and fast for the Lilywhites ahead of next month's World Cup.
Six games are on the calendar before domestic football goes on pause, with two per week for Spurs over the next 21 days. An ideal opportunity to maybe give Kane the breather he needs after playing in all 16 games of their season so far, that may be easier said than done for the head coach.
Speaking ahead of the Nottingham Forest fixture at the end of August, which was the start of seven games in such a short space of time, Conte admitted that he would have to drop Tottenham's No.10 out of the starting XI in that period in order to keep him fresh and not push him too much.
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"It’s important to underline that this season we have just started with me and last season I arrived in Tottenham in November and the competition was completely different because the Conference League is totally different, the Champions League now is another story," said Conte.
"The situation is different to the past. There is a World Cup in November and now in 23 or 24 days we have seven games. It’s crazy to think we can put always the same players.
"In this transfer market our target was to improve the squad, also because we know very well we have to face four competitions so to have the possibility to make rotations without dropping the level is important. Now we start to play games every three days, now you understand if a team is strong or not.
"To play every seven days is easy for every club. You rest, slight injuries can recover, and then you play with the same players. But now, with Champions League and Premier League, you understand the quality and the depth of the squad. And now you can make a judgement, not before."
Pressed on if he would definitely rest Kane, he added: "I repeat, we are talking about a situation that we have to start to face - on Sunday we have to play seven games every three days. After every game I will have to check the situation with all of the players for tiredness and injuries.
"And one player will not be able to play in all seven games - it is impossible. I am not a magician! I cannot forecast this - but we go game by game to make the best decisions for the team and for the players."
Kane did in fact play all seven games in that period, playing 90 minutes in all but one match as he came off with 12 minutes to spare in the 2-1 win over Fulham. Gareth Southgate and England would love Kane to arrive at the 2022 World Cup feeling refreshed and recharged but that may not be the case for the 29-year-old, as well as a number of the Three Lions squad who are also involved in midweek European action.
Injuries to Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison in recent weeks have restricted Conte's chances of giving Kane a much-needed breather, with Tottenham's up-and-down form and their failure to kill games off also keeping the striker on the pitch. The head coach did have a golden chance to bring the 29-year-old off in the Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt but he opted against it, despite Spurs cruising in the second half before the German side set up a tense finale with a late goal.
This Saturday's Premier League game away at Bournemouth may have been the ideal opportunity to drop Kane down to the bench, yet the injuries to Kulusevski and Richarlison - coupled with back-to-back defeats - mean that is no longer going to be a possibility. A rest in next Tuesday's Champions League away game at Marseille will all be dependant on how Spurs fare against Sporting CP on Wednesday, however, as a win will see Tottenham progress to the knockout phase.
Failure to beat the Portuguese side and then the frontman will be a certainty to start away at the Orange Velodrome with qualification on the line. A rest against Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup the following week looks likely, although Conte may have limited attacking options unless things start to ease on the injury front prior to the trip to the City Ground.
Seeming like a guarantee going on the manager's comments two months ago, a combination of factors has resulted in Kane not dropping down to the bench and instead playing more football than Spurs and Southgate may have liked given the punishing schedule. Not the only player at Tottenham who would benefit from time on the sidelines prior to the World Cup, Conte may not be able to guarantee it at all with how things are panning out in N17 at present.
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