Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has been left baffled by a 'bizarre' Antonio Conte claim on Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane.
The Lowdown: Spurs mainstay...
The 29-year-old has been a mainstay and star player for Spurs so far this term, proving indispensable for Conte as the manager chases a second successive top four finish in the Premier League.
As per WhoScored, Kane has played more league minutes than any of his team-mates except number one goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, having not missed a single top-flight match so far.
The World Cup-bound England captain has seriously impressed in that time with 12 goals and one assist, standing out as Conte's best performer by average match rating (WhoScored).
As such, the Tottenham head coach recently claimed that Kane was 'very, very tired' in the build-up to their Carabao Cup defeat away to Nottingham Forest the week before last.
The Latest: Campbell baffled by Conte reveal on Kane...
Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Campbell has been left baffled by Conte's claim, stating how he can't quite believe Kane's apparent fatigue.
The former Arsenal striker stated: “It’s November. How’s he already fatigued? It makes absolutely no sense, it’s bizarre.
“But Conte, sometimes he says these things to maybe just take some pressure off of Harry Kane – and I understand that.
“Kane has always started almost every game for Tottenham in a season, I can’t see why it’s any different this season.
“He’s got a World Cup coming up in a matter of days, there’s no way he’s fatigued.”
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The Verdict: Disagree...
Given the congested fixture calendar and sheer volume of matches leading up to Qatar 2022, it is definitely believable that Kane was feeling the strain.
The only concern from Spurs' point of view is how he will fare at the World Cup as England gear up to take on Iran this Monday.
Conte and co will be hoping that the 29-year-old doesn't come back from international duty completely worn out for the second half of 2022/23.