Mauricio Pochettino Talks 'Most Painful' Harry Kane Decision Ahead of UCL Final

Mauricio Pochettino isn't revealing whether Harry Kane will start for Tottenham Hotspur against Liverpool, but he's called it the "most painful decision."

Kane has declared himself fit to play in Saturday's 2019 UEFA Champions League final after recovering from an ankle ligament injury. Whether or not Pochettino will start the England international, who has missed Spurs' last three matches in the competition, has dominated the build-up to the game at Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.

Pochettino was asked how he's been approaching the Kane dilemma, per Football.London's Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest: "As always in football, it's painful when this type of game arrives and you can only use 11 players from the beginning. It's the most painful situation."

The Tottenham manager was also asked directly if he's made his mind up about Kane, to which he replied: "Yes, but we still have one training session now and then we are going to decide."

As to if Kane is ready or not, Gold relayed footage of the England international being put through his paces during Spurs' preparations:

To some, including former Tottenham goalscorer Gary Lineker, it's not a difficult decision at all:

However, there is more to it. For one thing, Spurs have thrived without their attacking talisman, particularly during the run to the final.

Heung-Min Son and Lucas Moura have carried the load in the final third. Their pace and varied runs off the ball complement each other superbly.

The fact neither Son nor Moura is a natural striker has also helped Tottenham. They can both operate wide and routinely drift from out to in to exchange positions through the middle, making it difficult for opponents to know who to mark.

Having Moura and Son wide benefits others, leaving natural space centrally for Dele Alli to break into from midfield.

The Son and Moura partnership is also ideally suited to exploiting the high line Liverpool adopt defensively. Reds boss Jurgen Klopp loves his teams to press and keep pressure on the ball, an approach demanding a high starting position for his defenders, leaving them vulnerable to pace.

Yet for all the benefits of keeping Son and Moura at the tip of the attack, Kane's knack for finding the net, even during a season disrupted by injuries, is hard to ignore:

There is no doubt Spurs would have Liverpool's usually rock-solid back four worried if Kane is flanked by Son and Moura. It's surely a tempting scenario for Pochettino, who must balance the needs to trust those in form with the desire to again rely on the player who has led the line so well in the past, even if he may not be fully fit.

Kane isn't making it easier by not being shy about letting it be known he is ready to play from the start:

Pochettino may be prepared to take his time over making this key call, but there is no denying the implications of getting it right or wrong.

Winning the Champions League wouldn't only make history for Spurs, it would also further enhance the reputation of arguably the most well-thought-of manager on the continent. Like his counterpart, Pochettino is also still waiting to win a first piece of silverware with his club.

Kane's participation, even in a limited role, offers the Liywhites their best chance of overcoming a Liverpool team strong enough to finish 26 points clear of them in the Premier League.