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Vertonghen, Kane declare themselves fit for Champions League final

It’s Poch’s decision whether they play or not, but this sure sounds promising.

Brighton & Hove Albion v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur have been sweating a bit on two of their biggest stars ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final. Harry Kane has been out since the first semifinal match against Manchester City with an ankle injury, while Jan Vertonghen picked up a knock against Ajax in Amsterdam.

However, there’s good news — both Harry and Jan have declared themselves fit and ready to play in Madrid on Saturday. Here’s Jan telling a Belgian news outlet that he’s good to go as per Kristof Terreur:

Kane told the English media something similar, but said it’s ultimately up to Mauricio Pochettino and what he wants to do.

“I feel good. I started to feel my way back with the team at the end of last week. There have been no problems so far. This week now is to get the fitness as high as possible. Then it is down to the manager.

“Like I said, I feel good. The manager will assess it and decide whether I am ready to go or not. But so far, I feel good and ready. The ankle is strong. I did a lot of work on my own to get me into a good place to go back with the team. Since I have been with them, I have been full training, doing everything. I am at a place now where I am ready to go for any game.

“I feel ready and fit. I am sure every player wants to start. But that is not my decision. That is the manager’s decision. I will be ready for everything, but we will see what happens.”

That last bit about Pochettino’s decision is key, because we’re not sure what he will do. Starting a healthy Kane in a Champions League final is a no-brainer, but these are not normal circumstances and it’d be difficult to say with certainty that Kane is both healthy and fit. Poch tried to hedge his bets while speaking to the media himself about Harry.

I get the sense that Pochettino will be keeping his cards very close to his vest with regards to Kane. I’d be surprised if we have any firm understanding of Poch’s plans for Harry before we see the lineups 75 minutes before kickoff at the Wanda Metropolitano.