England will line up tonight against Wales without their captain, talismanic striker and carrier of World Cup hopes, Harry Kane. 

It’s a timely and stark reminder that the Three Lions could be one serious injury away from potential disaster in the US next year. 

The Bayern Munich star, known for his outstanding performance, is currently dealing with an ankle problem. As it stands, there aren’t any clear replacements to take over his role.

The German may even decide, as a couple of our reporters have, that ditching a traditional striker altogether may be the best way to cope. 

Here, our experts give their verdict on how they would fill the gaping void if England’s worst nightmare was to become a reality.  

Thomas Tuchel knows any injury to Harry Kane could detonate England’s World Cup chances

Oliver Holt:  

If England needs someone to lead the attack in Harry Kane’s absence, my choice would be Ivan Toney. Although he’s somewhat out of the limelight after moving to Saudi Arabia to play in a less competitive league, he still appears to be the best like-for-like replacement for Kane, offering a strong presence in the England front line.

Toney excels at holding up the ball, has a sharp footballing mind, involves his teammates effectively, finishes well, and is reliable when it comes to taking penalties.

We might not have the rich array of talent like in the late ’90s when England’s options included Alan Shearer, Teddy Sheringham, Andy Cole, Stan Collymore, Ian Wright, and Robbie Fowler. However, it’s not all doom and gloom in terms of talent availability.

Marcus Rashford, who’s revitalized his career at Barcelona, would be my secondary option for the central striker position after Toney. However, there’s an increasing argument for starting Rashford on the left wing and having Bukayo Saka on the right.

Jack Gaughan:

It’s unclear how much Thomas Tuchel trusts the alternatives to Kane, which might make using a false nine a tempting strategy.

Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden have all performed that job for either club or country (albeit at Under-21 level) and it is a move that offers additional tactical flexibility. All the talk over the past 18 months, perhaps even longer, has been about how to fit the wealth of England’s midfield talent into a team.

Lee Carsley tried it in the absence of Kane during that 2-1 defeat by Greece last November but one night isn’t a large enough sample size to make a judgement on its viability. The ability of those you’d be choosing from for five spots around Declan Rice – the likes of Palmer, Elliot Anderson, Foden, Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka – is more than good enough to utilise the extra midfielder to maximum effect.

All of them ought to be capable of adapting to a game more reliant on ball rotation given that’s how the England age group sides are all set up these days. It should allow additional freedom for Bellingham too.

Ivan Toney, pictured after scoring for Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia, remains a fine finisher 

Anthony Gordon is among the many players who could be drafted into play as a false nine 

Ian Ladyman:

Thomas Tuchel was asked directly about his team’s World Cup prospects in the hypothetical absence of Harry Kane on Wednesday and was rather bullish about it.

‘We have clear options like Marcus Rashford and Ollie Watkins is the obvious one,’ said the England manager.

‘Marcus Rashford can play as a nine and I think Jarrod Bowen can play as a nine. And then we have ones with a bit more fantasy or creativity like a Phil Foden or Morgan Rogers, maybe even a Jude Bellingham could do it against a particular opponent.

‘So we have a lot of options. We also have Liam Delap who is injured.’

What else would we expect an England coach to say? He cant exactly admit that we have no natural replacement for Kane’s goals but that is, sadly, the truth of if.

Watkins is talented but not prolific. Rashford has enjoyed something of a return to form at Barcelona but is not a natural scorer of goals.

As for the other options, well they all have a bit of a make-do-and-mend feel about them. They are not natural long-term solutions.

So, given that Tuchel is big on continuity and momentum, I would not wish him to fundamentally change the way he sets his team up to accommodate a false nine such as Foden or Bellingham.

Tuchel’s England play with a traditional number nine and we only really have one currently on Tuchel’s radar. Delap is injured and untried. Ivan Toney is in Saudi Arabia and Tuchel isn’t a fan.

So it’s Ollie Watkins for me…

Ollie Watkins is talented but not prolific, yet may be a better option than changing the system

Kieran Gill:

So, it’s the eve of England’s World Cup opener and the travelling fans are tackling their pancake stacks in America when news filters through that Harry Kane is sidelined. No need to drown your sorrows in maple syrup, lads. There is a solution. 

For the sake of argument, let’s say we’re facing one of those opponents that sits deep in their shape – an Andorra if you will – because that type of dogged defensiveness is what England usually have to try to overcome. 

Now, I get the immediate calls for Ollie Watkins. He’s an excellent striker who loves bursting in behind. But he isn’t getting my vote on this occasion with scant space available for such runs. 

No, I’m plumping for Liam Delap. Having watched a great deal of him bullying defenders over the last two years – and having interviewed him for insight into his mindset – I consider this 22-year-old our closest alternative option to Kane than the others available. 

Delap has not yet been capped by England? Big whoop. There’s time yet for that with further friendlies to follow before next summer, and Chelsea hope he will be back in training after his hamstring injury from next month. 

Start Delap, get Cole Palmer behind him at No 10, Bukayo Saka on one wing, Anthony Gordon on the other, and Jude Bellingham moving up into the attack from midfield next to Declan Rice. Beat whoever it is, then celebrate with more pancakes.

Liam Delap will be back in Chelsea training next month and could be a World Cup bolter

Dominic King

How can England win the World Cup without Harry Kane? The stark answer to that question is they won’t. 

Kane is just too important and and the task would be like trying to drive a car on the motorway without a steering wheel. England have got some exciting forward players but none in the calibre of Kane. 

If, perish the thought, he was to miss key matches Thomas Tuchel simply couldn’t find a ready made replacement to slot in at number nine. In that case, he would have to think radically – and that would be to deploy Jude Bellingham as a false nine. 

There has been much debate about the Real Madrid star’s absence from this squad but let’s not kid ourselves – he will be part of the squad that goes to the United States. 

Jude Bellingham could present an option as a false nine for Thomas Tuchel in the US

But it isn’t difficult to see why Tuchel would have some concerns about his place in the starting line-up. For all his ability, he doesn’t have the discipline and technical attributes you would have for a world class midfielder who can dictate the tempo. Bellingham is an outstanding marauder, blessed with an ability to get into the penalty area at the right time. 

He’s scored big goals for England and he would score more in the future with the right set up behind him. England have pace on the flanks and players who can protect a defence and retain possession. 

Bellingham, on an emergency, could slot into Kane’s position – but it says more about the lack of poachers the country has coming through. 

What an irony it is that 30 years ago, the nation went into the home European Championships with an artillery to pick from including Alan Shearer, Teddy Sheringham, Robbie Fowler, Andy Cole, Les Ferdinand and Stan Collymore to name but six. It feels like another world.