Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen has issued a worrying update on the fitness of Harry Kane.

Spurs fans were delighted yesterday after a picture surfaced of Harry Kane without his protective boot. Kane looked in high spirits meeting with Gareth Southgate, and fans suspected he may even return for the Chelsea clash.

Those hopes now appear to have been crushed, as comments from Tottenham teammate Vertonghen seem to suggest Kane is simply targeting a return for the World Cup.

“The fact that we now risk facing a well-rested and in-form Kane at the World Cup doesn’t matter for me. I prefer a fit Kane, whether he’s an opponent or not,” Vertonghen told ESPN.

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“I don’t think [the injury] is serious enough for him to miss the World Cup. I hope he’ll return before the end of the season and then he has time for the national team.”

Of course, there is nothing in the quotes to definitively confirm Kane won’t return before the summer, but the fact that super Jan is “hoping” the striker can return before the end of the season surely does not bode well for the coming weeks.

A return for the Chelsea match would have been quite remarkable, but fans may now just be hoping to see their star man at the World Cup.

Of course, Mauricio Pochettino has built a side capable of scoring the goals to fire them to a top four finish without Kane, but he is still an absolutely massive loss.

Spurs fans, would you rush Kane back or play it cautiously? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…