Harry Kane passed fit to play USA after ankle injury fears, says England manager Gareth Southgate

Kane suffered a knock after a clumsy challenge by Morteza Pouraliganji in England’s 6-2 win against Iran on Monday – the national team’s biggest ever win at the start of a major tournament.

The Spurs striker, who has a history of ankle problems, did play on for 25 minutes but was seen limping after the game and went for a precautionary scan.

Southgate revealed Kane had trained with the rest of the squad behind closed doors on Wednesday and he also joined his team-mates on the pitch at England’s Al Wakrah camp when the cameras were present on Thursday.

“He is good, he has worked a little bit more individually on Wednesday but he will back in with the team on Thursday and good for the game,” Southgate said on ITV.

“We just checked him out, just to see. I think sometimes when you are treating things it is important to know exactly what is there and that was all good.

“It is not so much the ankle. It is more the foot. It was a poor challenge really but I think it is one that fortunately we have got away with reasonably lightly.”

Kane has had seven separate ankle injuries during his career – all of them sustained while playing for Spurs – so there was natural concern when Kane went down.

Asked whether he has been holding his breath, Southgate added: “No, I was when he went down on the pitch! But once he carried on playing everything has been good.”

Harry Maguire came off against Iran feeling unwell but was involved in England training on Wednesday.

The Manchester United captain will join Southgate at Thursday’s pre-match press conference ahead of winning his 50th cap.

Callum Wilson did not train but is not believed to be a fitness doubt, while James Maddison was again absent as he recovers from a knee complaint that ruled him out against Iran.

Kyle Walker also trained and will be hoping to get his first minutes since undergoing groin surgery in October.

“I’m fit,” the right-back said. “I’ve been training now for two weeks and I feel sharp.

“Can you replicate what you do on a match day? Of course I can’t. Me and the physio, me and the fitness coach cannot have an 11 v 11 against each other.

“We can do as much as we can do before I have to go into training and kick a ball with the lads, so I feel good.”

Former Scotland captain Graeme Souness believes England manager Gareth Southgate has to shoulder some of the responsibility for not doing more to protect Kane after he suffered the knock against Iran.

“It was a bad one. The lad’s (Morteza Pouraliganji) weight was on Harry’s ankle,” Souness said.

“It’s totally wrong. He should have been off immediately and it should have been in ice, in an elevated position, immediately.

“He needed saving from himself.”