Mauricio Pochettino Says Harry Kane a Doubt for Tottenham vs. Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino on Wednesday confirmed that star forward Harry Kane is a doubt for the team's Premier League showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Pochettino was asked after the 3-2 defeat to West Ham United in the Carabao Cup whether Kane would be ready to return to the team for Saturday's game.

"We'll see," he told beIN Sports (h/t Dan Kilpatrick of ESPN FC). "We need to assess the team. We were forced to rotate [tonight] for different reasons."

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Kane, who was left out of the squad for the Hammers defeat, seemed in some discomfort when he was substituted late on during the 4-1 win against Liverpool on Sunday. 

Kilpatrick suggested via Twitter there may be more to the forward's absence:

Additionally, during the game against West Ham, the Spurs boss took the peculiar decision of substituting Fernando Llorente with 20 minutes to go, as if ensuring he would be ready for Saturday's fixture. The Spaniard was the only fit striker in the Tottenham squad, and the team was a goal down.

Kane's absence would be a blow to Spurs' chances of getting a result at Old Trafford, as he's been in sensational form.

Liverpool found out as much on Sunday, as the striker ran the Reds ragged in a lopsided contest. Kane's power, decision-making and intelligent movement make him difficult for opposition defences to deal with.

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When chances drop to him, he's a fantastic finisher. As uMAXit Football noted, in terms of goalscoring the England international is in some great company in 2017:

Having surrendered a two-goal lead to West Ham at Wembley Stadium, Spurs will be seeking to boost their confidence with a strong performance away at United.

They have been exceptional away from home in the Premier League this season, with Kane leading the charge for Tottenham at the point of the attack. The game at Old Trafford is arguably their biggest domestic challenge of the campaign, though, and Pochettino's side will need to be at full tilt for the fixture.

Against a Jose Mourinho-managed United outfit, you sense chances will be scarce. Spurs will need to be ruthless with the opportunities that fall their way and will be desperate to get Kane involved.