How would Tottenham cope without Harry Kane?

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The Tottenham Hotspur striker has proven himself to be one of the world’s best.

Spurs have begun their 2017/18 campaign in fine fashion, with Harry Kane leading by example once again, both domestically and on the continent.

The 24-year-old hitman has scored nine goals in eight outings for Tottenham so far this season, and has consolidated his place amongst Europe’s most feared strikers.

The England international missed two lengthy spells through injury last season, and it could be argued that his absence for 21 per cent of Spurs’ Premier League games eventually cost them in the title race.

Kane’s ability to remain fit for the entirety of the season must be a real concern for Pochettino, with such a long and physically punishing campaign ahead for his side.

So, how would the Lilywhites cope without their star man?

The obvious answer is not very well at all.

They have Fernando Llorente in reserve, but he is nowhere near Kane’s level. The Spaniard is a seasoned veteran, and possesses undoubted quality, but it would be foolish to expect more than 15 goals in a season from the former Juventus man.

Another option for Pochettino would be to play Son Heung-min through the middle, and whilst the South Korean would arguably offer Spurs more mobility in the final third, they would lose the ability to play with a more direct, physical approach through the middle.

Tottenham do have Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, however – two of the finest attacking midfielders in the country, if not the whole of Europe.

It would be down to both of them to raise their games, and fill the void left behind by Kane, should the 24-year-old be forced to spend a sustained period of time out of action.

The Englishman and the Dane are more than capable of doing just that of course – last season they contributed 26 goals and 22 assists between them in the Premier League alone.

The reality is though, that any team in Europe would miss someone of Kane’s calibre.

The 24-year-old has scored 34 goals in all competitions this calendar year, second only to Lionel Messi’s 42. Kane is without doubt approaching world class levels, if he is not already there, and Tottenham fans will be praying that he remains at his physical peak for the entirety of the season.

Which teams would be able to cope without the Englishman? It could be argued that there aren’t any.