Gareth Southgate hopes that Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford will be in good shape for Euro 2020, but insists that England have the quality to face the pair of attackers if they are not ready.
Captain Kane was initially sacked by Tottenham until April with a torn hamstring, but has made miraculous strides since he fell under the knife last month and looks far ahead of schedule.
Man United sniper Rashford has been sidelined for the season but could also make a comeback sooner than expected.
While the two will no doubt be an integral part of England’s chances this summer, rushing players in time for the big tournaments has rarely served the country well.
But Southgate is optimistic, the two men will be in great shape: “We had very good updates along the way and Harry and Marcus are exactly where we expected them to be.
“Both players will give themselves the best chance of being available, it is their mentality and dedication to their sport.
“It is the only thing we can guarantee, what we cannot guarantee, is how this re-education will develop as it intensifies and intensifies. But they are both on the right track compared to the information we received at the very beginning. “
If Kane and / or Rashford suffer setbacks, Southgate is however confident of having the quality in reserve to face.
“You have to be prepared for anything,” he added to talkSPORT’s Nigel Adderley.
“So I think we have attackers in the league who have scored goals, we have wide players who have scored goals.
“So we have a very good competition for places but, clearly, we would like to go to the Euro with our best players.
“And there is no doubt that Kane and Rashford would be in this category.”
Southgate was speaking live from Amsterdam during the draw for the 2020-21 Nations League tournament, where England was paired with Belgium, Denmark and Iceland.
Perhaps the most relevant issue for the 49-year-old will be the goalie situation, with Jordan Pickford’s number one enduring a somewhat erratic form period.
However, Southgate admitted that the Everton shooter had earned his spot between the sticks for his consistency at the start of his term with the national team.
He added, “He has played exceptionally well for us over the past three years and has had critical moments for us to achieve great victories.
“So I understand the question and he knows that there have probably been some goals recently with which he would like to do better.
“And as you rightly say, the spotlight when you have England international attached to your name is always bigger – on and off the pitch.
“But he knows it and he’s more than capable of dealing with it.”