Harry Kane's importance to Tottenham is as significant as the impact Lionel Messi had during his career at Barcelona, according to Clement Lenglet.

France defender Lenglet is well known to Messi having played alongside him at Camp Nou and also against the Argentina great during his time at Sevilla.

Messi had been a one-club man until the start of the 2021-22 season when Barca's perilous financial situation saw him depart for Paris Saint-Germain.

The superstar forward became the club's all-time leading scorer and a record seven-time Ballon d'Or winner at Barca, while he counts 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions League medals among a plethora of honours won with Los Cules.

While Kane has yet to win a medal with Spurs, Lenglet – who joined Tottenham from Barca on loan in the last transfer window – talked up the impact he has on the club.

In quotes reported by the Daily Mail, Lenglet said: "When you stay a long time in the same place and you achieve so many good things with the club it means you become a part of this club. 

"Your face is connected to the club. For me, Messi is always a Barca player.

"For Harry it's the same. It's difficult to think of Harry in another country or playing for another team. Tottenham is a big club, Harry is a big player and Harry is a big part of Tottenham. 

"We speak a lot about the player and that's important because we are players but I give the same importance to what he is like as a guy. He is an amazing example for all his team-mates."

Describing what it is like to be play with and against Messi, Lenglet added: "You play with the greatest player in the world in my opinion. 

"He helps you improve every day. I played with him [for Barca] and against him for Sevilla – it's better with him!"

Lenglet has made just three Premier League starts for Spurs this season but said it only required a short conversation with boss Antonio Conte to persuade him to make the move to north London, where he is still adjusting to a new way of life.

"We spoke about a lot of things. He [Conte] told me if I came here I would improve because the league is so competitive, you have to be ready and focused every game," Lenglet said.

"He said if I came here I would be happy because I would progress as a football player and it has been a good decision.

"It's a different culture, a different way to work. I was in Spain for six years. You work one way, you think one way, the football is the same. Now, you come to England – a different league, different intensity, different way to work. It's a good way to improve."

Tottenham sit third in the Premier League and are out to rebound from defeat against Manchester United when they face Newcastle United on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo remains "an important part" of Erik ten Hag's plans at Manchester United and the Dutchman hopes he can "count on him" through the rest of the season.

The forward is absent for Saturday's Premier League clash against Chelsea after he was dropped for disciplinary reasons following his refusal to come on as a substitute during Wednesday's 2-0 win over Tottenham.

Ronaldo left the game early, heading down the Old Trafford tunnel before the final whistle, echoing his pre-season actions when he departed a friendly with Rayo Vallecano before the end.

Speaking ahead of his side's trip to the Blues, Ten Hag stressed it would be a one-and-done sanction for the Portugal forward and that he believes he can rely on the veteran across the remainder of the campaign.

"It is for this game and then we continue," he stated.. "I am open to that. For me, it is a strike.

"What we said in the statement is that Cristiano remains an important part of the squad and I count on him for the rest of the season. We want to fulfil our ambitions.

"What I said is I don't want to miss him. I want him to be in the squad and be involved for every game because he has an impact."

However, Ten Hag felt Ronaldo must accept the consequence of his actions, regardless of his standing within the sport.

"He has to be aware that you get justified [judged] by the moment and how you are acting today," he added.

"In top sport, it is about today -- it is not about age or reputation. When you have top sport, you get justified and judged by the moment and how you act.

"That is normal. Everyone has to be aware of it and not just Cristiano. We have to be aware of it as a team, a manager and a club."

Antonio Conte is worried Dejan Kulusevski may not feature for Tottenham before the World Cup after the winger suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Kulusevski has not featured for Spurs since last month's 6-2 thrashing of Leicester City, having sustained the injury while on international duty with Sweden – who failed to qualify for the tournament in Qatar.

While the form of Richarlison initially allowed Spurs to cope with Kulusevski's absence, the Brazil attacker limped out of a 2-0 win over his former club Everton last week, leaving Conte short on forward options.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's clash with Newcastle United, Conte said of Kulusevski: "I think we have to wait a bit of time to see him with us, it is the same for Richarlison.

"For sure, this type of situation creates a big, big difficulty. It's normal. For me, also fingers crossed because at the moment we have Harry [Kane] and Sonny [Son Heung-min] in good health.

"I hope they continue to stay that way, or I'll have to think about putting my shoes on to play, me!

"When you go to play Champions League, especially if you play in the Premier League, you have to know that you're going to have a difficult season for injuries, for massive games, for players who become tired."

Asked whether he is concerned Kulusevski may not recover before the Premier League breaks for the World Cup next month, Conte said: "Yes, because his recovery was going well and then one day the situation worsened.

"Then when this type of situation happens, you have to restart. You need time, but we have the medical department to face injury situations, and they have to solve the situation in a short period. If you are able to solve the situation in a short period, it means points in the table."

Tottenham have lost two of their last four Premier League games (W2), suffering as many defeats in that spell as they did in their previous 21 matches in the competition.

Wednesday's 2-0 reverse at Manchester United represented the first time Spurs have failed to score in a Premier League game this season, and led Conte to declare the two sides were operating on "different levels".

Asked whether Tottenham needed to sign another creative presence in the January transfer window, Conte said the club would assess their options during the World Cup break.

"Now, we have to try to finish this period, which for us is really tough," the Italian added. "You have important injuries and you have to face the situation in the best possible way. 

"Then we'll see. We have to arrive until the last game in November and then with the club we'll see the situation, if we have to do something or we continue in the same way."

Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledged "the heat of the moment" got the better of him during his early walkout from Manchester United's win over Tottenham, pledging to be "ready for everything" after being dropped by the Red Devils.

United produced one of their best performances under Erik ten Hag during Wednesday's 2-0 win over Spurs, but the victory was overshadowed by Ronaldo walking down the tunnel before the final whistle.

Ten Hag said after the game that he would "deal with" Ronaldo's behaviour on Thursday, and the Dutchman followed through on that vow by sanctioning the 37-year-old.

On Thursday, United announced Ronaldo will play no part in Saturday's Premier League trip to Chelsea, with media reports even suggesting he refused to come on as a substitute against Spurs.

Ronaldo responded to the incident on his official Instagram account, insisting his attitude has not changed.

"As I've always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches," Ronaldo wrote. "That hasn't changed. I haven't changed. 

"I'm the same person and the same professional that I've been for the last 20 years playing elite football, and respect has always played a very important role in my decision-making process.

"I started very young, the older and most experienced players' examples were always very important to me. Therefore, later on, I've always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I've represented. 

"Unfortunately, that's not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us.

"Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my team-mates and be ready for everything in any given game. 

"Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United and united we must stand. Soon we'll be together again."

Ronaldo has only started two of United's 10 Premier League games this season, scoring just one goal in the competition after slipping below Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in the pecking order.

The Portugal captain reportedly asked to leave United following their failure to secure a top-four finish last season but saw several rumoured suitors – including Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich – rule out signing him. 

Cristiano Ronaldo must have had good reason for walking away from Manchester United's 2-0 triumph over Tottenham on Wednesday, claims former team-mate Nani.

An excellent performance from United saw them dominate Spurs at Old Trafford, as a deflected Fred strike and a sublime finish from Bruno Fernandes gave them an important victory over a top-four rival.

However, unused substitute Ronaldo headed along the touchline and down the tunnel before the final whistle blew. According to a report in the Athletic, the 37-year-old went on to leave the stadium early too, instead of celebrating with team-mates.

Despite his side's superb display, United manager Erik ten Hag was forced to field questions over Ronaldo's premature exit after the game, telling Amazon Prime he would "deal with" the matter on Thursday.

Nani, who played with Ronaldo for United as well as Portugal, defended his former team-mate before suggesting Ronaldo likely had valid reasons for his early departure.

"I don't know what happened in that moment," Nani exclusively told Stats Perform. "Maybe he had to go to the bathroom.

"Everyone knows he is a professional, very big professional."

Nani, now playing in Australia's A-League for Melbourne Victory, did not watch United's game against Tottenham, but he knows how being an unused substitute would feel for Ronaldo, and he suggested the early walk-off was not as significant as some have made out.

"He works really hard to be on the field. Maybe [there can] probably be a little bit of frustration there on not being an option to play," Nani said.

"But this is his desire, to be on the field and play. But I think it's not a big deal because there is a reason probably."

Cristiano Ronaldo displayed "unacceptable" behaviour by walking off as Manchester United were putting the finishing touches to a victory over Tottenham, according to Gary Lineker.

The Portugal great, who was an unused substitute in Wednesday night's game at Old Trafford, walked along the touchline and down the tunnel before full-time.

According to a report in The Athletic, Ronaldo kept going and immediately left the stadium, rather than celebrate with team-mates after what was arguably the team's best performance of the season.

United were excellent as they secured a sixth Premier League win of the season to go fifth in the table, thriving without having to call on the 37-year-old Ronaldo.

The fixture was one in which Ronaldo hit a hat-trick last season, but he was a spare part in United's 2-0 win this week, only for the early exit to draw attention to himself again.

United manager Erik ten Hag said he would "deal with" the matter on Thursday.

Former Tottenham and Barcelona striker Lineker, presenting the BBC's Match of the Day programme, suggested Ronaldo had overstepped the mark.

"Cristiano Ronaldo: now we all know what a great player he's been and stuff like that, but walking off the pitch as a substitute with two minutes to go, before the game is finished, I'm sorry, but that's unacceptable. That's poor, isn't it?" Lineker said.

Pundit Micah Richards, a former Manchester City defender, agreed Ronaldo was out of order.

"It's so poor," said Richards. "For someone we've looked up to for so long, one of the greats of the game, to do that when your team are winning, making it about him, it's unacceptable."

United were terrific in front of their home fans, racking up 28 shots to Tottenham's nine, with goals coming from Fred in the 47th minute and Bruno Fernandes in the 69th. Their defence was also impressively stout, allowing Tottenham to only accumulate 0.48 expected goals.

Speaking to Amazon Prime after the contest, Ten Hag said dealing with Ronaldo was a problem for another day.

"I will deal with [Ronaldo] tomorrow, not today," he said. "Today we celebrate this victory, and now we have to recover from this."

Ten Hag said in a subsequent press conference that he chose Marcus Rashford rather than Ronaldo because of the England forward's pressing qualities.

"What we needed was we needed good pressing, you need a good counter-press, because from there you can create chances," Ten Hag said.

"Offensive-wise you need dynamic, so that is what Marcus can give you in a game."

Antonio Conte acknowledged Tottenham must do better in big games after they were beaten 2-0 at Manchester United.

Goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes condemned Conte's side to only their second Premier League defeat of the season, having also been beaten 3-1 at leaders Arsenal earlier this month.

Spurs have made an otherwise impressive start to the campaign and still sit third in the table, level on points with second-placed Manchester City and three ahead of Chelsea in fourth, albeit having played a game more than both.

However, speaking to Amazon Prime, Conte pointed to the difference in spending power between his club and United, who forked out more than anyone in England in the last transfer window to bring in the likes of Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Antony.

Spurs also spent money on Yves Bissouma, Djed Spence and Richarlison among others, but the Brazilian was unable to feature at Old Trafford due to injury.

"I consider United a really good team," Conte said. "You know very well the potential of this club, what they did in the transfer market and what money they can spend. For sure, we are speaking about two different levels.

"At the same time, I think in this type of game we can do much better.

"We are struggling. We struggled against Chelsea, we struggled against Arsenal, we struggled today against United."

Spurs conceded 28 shots on their goal from the hosts, including 19 in the first half, while managing only nine of their own all game, with just two on target.

"United deserved to win, they played a really good game," Conte conceded.

"For our side, in this type of game when the level has got to be high, we need to improve a lot. We have to try to be better than today."

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will deal with Cristiano Ronaldo on Thursday, but kept his immediate post-match focus on what he felt was his side's most complete performance under his watch in their 2-0 victory against Tottenham.

United were terrific in front of their home fans, racking up 28 shots to Tottenham's nine, with goals coming from Fred in the 47th minute and Bruno Fernandes in the 69th. Their defence was also impressively stout, allowing Tottenham to only accumulate 0.48 expected goals.

In the final minutes, with United defending their lead, Cristiano Ronaldo stole the headlines by making his way down the tunnel early, clearly unhappy about his lack of involvement as an unused substitute.

Speaking to Amazon Prime after the contest, Ten Hag said dealing with Ronaldo was a problem for another day, and that he would spend Wednesday night celebrating a complete performance.

"I will deal with [Ronaldo] tomorrow, not today," he said. "Today we celebrate this victory, and now we have to recover from this.

"I knew [form] would come with [Fernandes]. Sometimes you have periods as a striker or offensive player and you don't score, but all of a sudden you find it back. I think for Bruno it's important he scored a goal, but once again I think he played a magnificent role today.

"There were so many things that were really good – our organisation, our pressing organisation was fabulous, magnificent – also I think the rest of the defence and the counter press was really good. 

"To be fair, I didn't expect it before [the game] because Spurs have played really good this season, and they play really solid – every performance is dead good. I thought we had to be really good to win, and we did. It was a magnificent performance and I hope we set a new base.

"From start to end we dictated the game, and that is what we didn't do against Liverpool and Arsenal. I want to mention that we had more good performances this season, but you see the development in the process and I'm clearly pleased with that."

The result sees United rise to fifth on the table with an even goal difference, and they will look to carry that momentum into a massive fixture at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea on Saturday.

Bruno Fernandes' spectacular finish helped Manchester United make a statement of their top-four credentials with a 2-0 win over Tottenham in the Premier League on Wednesday.

The Portugal midfielder volleyed into the top-right corner to add to Fred's opener, lifting the Red Devils to a deserved victory over Antonio Conte's men, who they now trail by just four points.

Elsewhere, Newcastle United continued their fine start to the season and Chelsea were held by Brentford, as West Ham paid the penalty in a narrow loss to Liverpool at Anfield.

Here, Stats Perform picks out the best Opta facts from an intriguing Wednesday in the Premier League.

Manchester United 2-0 Tottenham: Fernandes continues Spurs' Red Devils hoodoo

Wednesday's headline clash saw United claim an important win over third-placed Spurs, Erik ten Hag's second win in as many home Premier League games against top-three opponents (also 3-1 v Arsenal in September).

That is as many home wins against sides in the top three as predecessors Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick managed between them in the competition.

Fernandes was the star of the show, creating nine chances – the most by a player in a Premier League match this season and most overall in the competition since Fernandes himself in September 2021 (10 v Aston Villa).

The hosts also kept Spurs' attackers quiet during a controlled display – Harry Kane has now failed to score in 13 of his 17 appearances against United in the Premier League, more than against any other opponent.

The victory is United's fourth in their last four Premier League meetings with Tottenham, the first time they have enjoyed such a run in the competition since April 2009-October 2010.

Liverpool 1-0 West Ham: Alisson and Nunez hand Reds hard-fought win

At Anfield, Liverpool built on Sunday's victory over Manchester City by clinching a 1-0 win over West Ham, extending their unbeaten run to 29 home league games (W22 D7).

Darwin Nunez headed home the only goal, which also represented Liverpool's 100th Premier League goal against West Ham – the fourth side they've reached a century against in the competition.

That goal was also the 800th West Ham have conceded in the Premier League – a tally only previously reached by Everton, Newcastle and Tottenham.

The Hammers were handed a chance to respond before the break, but Jarrod Bowen saw his penalty saved by Alisson. Since the start of the 2020-21 season, no team has missed more Premier League spot-kicks than West Ham's six.

Newcastle United 1-0 Everton: Solid Toon continue rise

Eddie Howe's Newcastle recorded a 1-0 win over Everton at St James' Park, posting their fifth clean sheet of the Premier League season – a tally only matched by Manchester City.

In truth, the Magpies' rearguard was never seriously tested: Everton's one shot in this match was their joint-worst tally in a Premier League game since data collection began in 2003-04 (also v Chelsea in November 2016).

Newcastle are sixth in the early-season standings after combining that solidity with an eye for the spectacular – only Leicester City (six) can better their tally of five Premier League goals from outside the penalty area this season. 

Match-winner Miguel Almiron, meanwhile, has netted five goals in 11 league appearances this term, matching his return from his previous 64 outings.

Brentford 0-0 Chelsea: Bees hold firm in West London Derby

Chelsea are yet to taste defeat under Graham Potter, but the Blues boss saw his team drop league points for the first time in his tenure at Brentford.

The Blues' familiar lack of creativity came to the fore as they hit the target with just five of their 14 shots (36 per cent), three of which came after the 85th minute.

Despite not starting the match, Mateo Kovacic was directly involved in seven of Chelsea's 14 shots, creating a game-high four chances as he outshone his team-mates.

However, the Croatian was unable to drive his side to a win, and Brentford have now kept consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League for just the second time – last doing so in their first two games in the competition in August 2021.

Manchester United produced arguably their finest display of Erik ten Hag's reign as they beat Tottenham 2-0 at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

The Red Devils were disappointing and often toothless against Newcastle United at the weekend, but Antonio Conte's Spurs were dominated from start to finish.

United tallied 19 shots in the first half alone, which was more than they managed in any previous league game under Ten Hag – although it was still goalless at the break.

That changed within 16 seconds of the restart as Fred's deflected strike found its way in, and Bruno Fernandes' gorgeous finish 21 minutes later wrapped up an impressively comfortable win.

United's first-half superiority began with Antony's speculative long-range effort almost catching Hugo Lloris out, before the Frenchman tipped over Fred's dipping 20-yard attempt.

The post then rescued Spurs in the 10th minute as Antony went close after cutting in from the right, though Lloris was soon busy again.

A fine save down to his right kept Marcus Rashford at bay when appearing destined to score – he then produced acrobatic stops to keep out Luke Shaw's volley and Fernandes' free-kick in a three-minute spell.

Soon after, in the 28th minute, Lloris looked beaten but Casemiro's sweetly struck left-footed drive flew agonisingly wide.

The deadlock was eventually broken at the start of the second half, as Fred's strike deflected off Eric Dier and left Lloris helpless.

Harry Kane smashed straight at David de Gea at the other end with 21 minutes to go, but United went straight down the other end and made it 2-0 – Fernandes guiding a wonderful effort into the top-right corner.

Fernandes had a late second disallowed for offside, but it mattered not.

Chelsea have reportedly identified two major targets for the January transfer window, with plans to secure RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku and Lille's Jonathan David.

Nkunku has been in brilliant form over the past 18 months. He netted 35 goals in 52 club appearances last season and was rewarded with his international debut for France in March. Having been equally as brilliant for Leipzig this season, the former Paris Saint-Germain attacker is set for a breakout World Cup campaign with the reigning champions.

David will also be at the World Cup, representing Canada in only their second qualification for a finals, and the country's first since 1986. With Lille, the 22-year-old has nine goals and two assists in 11 Ligue 1 games this season.

Chelsea's interest in Nkunku has been well-established for months, while David is newly on their radar, and both could be wearing blue by the end of January.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA PLAN TO SPLASH THE CASH

News emerged in recent weeks that Chelsea were able to conduct a preliminary medical on Nkunku in the recent transfer window, and despite Leipzig's wishes to retain his services until the end of the season, The Mirror is reporting Chelsea are trying to get a deal done in January for a price in the range of £52million.

Meanwhile, Jeunesfooteux claims it will cost Chelsea at least £60m to tempt Lille into letting go of David, as the Canadian is still under contract until June 2025.

The Mirror's report adds Chelsea are hoping to land Brighton and Hove Albion's Leandro Trossard – who head coach Graham Potter developed an affinity for during his time with the Seagulls. They could face competition from Atletico Madrid, however.

ROUND-UP:

– Calciomercato is reporting Juventus have an interest in Atletico midfielder Rodrigo De Paul and Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan Ndicka.

– According to The Evening Standard, highly desired Serie A talents Milan Skriniar of Inter and Rafael Leao of Milan appear likely to sign contract extensions with their respective clubs.

– Sky Sports Germany claims Bayern Munich remain heavily interested in Tottenham striker Harry Kane, who will have 18 months remaining on his contract when the January transfer window arrives.

– Napoli winger Hirving Lozano is likely to leave the club in January, according to Calciomercato, as his contract demands are said to be more than the Italian side are comfortable with.

– The Guardian is reporting Manchester United are delaying their contract decisions for David de Gea and Marcus Rashford as Erik ten Hag wants to see more before potentially offering extensions.

Erik ten Hag did not take issue with Cristiano Ronaldo's reaction to being substituted against Newcastle United but will not commit to starting the forward when Manchester United host Tottenham.

Ronaldo made just his second Premier League start of the season in Sunday's 0-0 draw with the Magpies but was replaced by Marcus Rashford after having two second-half goals disallowed.

The Portugal great reacted angrily to his 72nd-minute withdrawal and was seen shaking his head after taking his place in the dugout.

However, speaking at a news conference ahead of Wednesday's clash with Spurs, Ten Hag said Ronaldo's drive was crucial to his success.

"I think no player is happy when he comes off, especially not Ronaldo, I understand that," Ten Hag said. "As long as it is in quite a normal way, I have no problem with that.

"Of course, he is convinced he should stay on and score a goal, that's why he is that good."

Ronaldo claimed a hat-trick as United beat Tottenham 3-2 when the teams met at Old Trafford in March and has scored more Premier League goals against Spurs (eight) than he has against any other side.

However, Ten Hag said last season's treble did not mean Ronaldo was a certainty to start, adding: "I know of it [March's hat-trick], and of course, when you make a line-up you count on several facts, but also other facts you take out of [your thinking]."

Ronaldo looks more likely to appear in Ten Hag's line-up after Anthony Martial was ruled out of Wednesday's match, although United could be boosted by the return of Christian Eriksen. 

"Anthony Martial is not available. He is back on the pitch, but not in team training," Ten Hag added.

"Christian Eriksen returned to team training today. We have to see how that works out, how he will recover, and if he has the energy tomorrow. We have to wait for that."

United have won each of their last three Premier League games against Tottenham, who last lost four consecutive league meetings with the Red Devils between April 2009 and October 2010.

Meanwhile, Spurs have lost more Premier League games against the Red Devils than they have versus any other opponent (38), and head coach Antonio Conte has suffered three defeats in as many trips to United – against no club has the Italian lost more away games in his career.

Provisional World Cup squads are expected this week, and Gareth Southgate – despite a few late injury headaches – is likely to have already nailed down the majority of his England group.

There do remain some question marks, however, and perhaps none are more prominent than in attack, where Harry Kane is the established starter but the role of back-up has been shared among an ever-changing cast.

Since Russia 2018, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ollie Watkins, Callum Wilson and Danny Ings have all played and scored for England. But either form or fitness has deserted each of them.

That would appear to leave three contenders in Tammy Abraham, whose Roma place is no longer assured, Ivan Toney, the recent call-up yet to make his international debut, and Marcus Rashford.

Abraham and Toney were each included in Southgate's latest England squad, although neither featured in games against Italy and Germany where the Three Lions needed goals. Meanwhile, injury robbed Rashford of the opportunity to re-establish himself in the group.

At one stage, Rashford was assured of his place in every international squad, if not necessarily every team.

The Manchester United man has earned 46 caps for England, and all but three of those have come since Southgate's September 2016 appointment.

However, for all those accusations of Southgate defying club form to pick his 'favourites', Rashford has been punished for below-par displays for United, having scored a measly five goals in 32 games last season.

Rashford's last action for England was his missed penalty in the Euro 2020 final against Italy after appearing as a substitute for the final minute of extra time at Wembley. He has not started for his country since before that tournament.

But the 24-year-old has rediscovered something approaching his best form this season, netting five goals and assisting three in 11 matches for United. Rashford is far outperforming Abraham (two goals and one assist in 13 matches) in that regard, although he still trails flavour-of-the-month Toney (eight goals and three assists in 11 matches).

Toney's case is clear then – except Southgate is not looking for a forward to come in and lead the line against Iran on November 21.

Only Jordan Pickford (14 starts, 1,380 minutes) and John Stones (14 starts, 1,324 minutes) have started more matches or played more minutes for Southgate at major tournaments than Kane (13 starts, 1,222 minutes).

Assuming no injury to Kane that would alter the entire conversation, Rashford is auditioning for the position of primary attacking reinforcement – one he has filled twice for Southgate in the past.

Across the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020, no England player made more appearances (10) or played more minutes (205) as a substitute than Rashford.

In 63 minutes from the bench for United this season, Rashford has scored two goals and assisted another. Abraham has yet to contribute to a goal in 91 such minutes for Roma, while Toney has a sole assist in 18 minutes.

As illness reduced Rashford to a substitute role against Newcastle United on Sunday, he showed how dangerous his hard running can prove late in matches.

Both he and Fred passed up huge chances, but only Casemiro (0.45 – 0.01 xG, 0.44 xA) produced more combined expected goals and expected assists in the whole match than Rashford (0.43 – 0.31 xG, 0.12 xA) did in an 18-minute cameo against the Premier League's meanest defence.

On that occasion, Rashford was appearing, as he would in place of Kane, as a centre-forward after being brought on for Cristiano Ronaldo. But his versatility is a key attribute Toney does not possess.

For United this season, five of Rashford's nine starts have come as a lone striker, with the other four as a left-sided winger.

Longer term, his starts through the middle have been far less regular. Rashford's 21 England starts have included 10 from the left, three from the right and eight as a central striker. Of those eight, seven have been as part of a forward pair.

His sole appearance in a Three Lions line-up in the sort of role Kane is used to was in a 3-1 Nations League Finals defeat to the Netherlands, in which Rashford was replaced by Kane at half-time after opening the scoring.

If England are in need of a spark in Qatar – whether from the start or as a substitute – Southgate is likely to turn to a player who can complement Kane rather than replace him, perhaps explaining the watching briefs for Abraham and Toney in September.

Importantly, Rashford has previously supported Kane to good effect, most notably in a 3-2 win against Spain in October 2018, when Kane teed up Rashford for the second goal and the pair each provided a further assist for Raheem Sterling, who is also set to start again at the World Cup.

As Kane and Tottenham visit Old Trafford on Wednesday for the pick of the midweek Premier League action, Rashford will no doubt hope to be restored to the United XI ahead of Ronaldo.

But were he to instead play from the left or come on for the veteran forward later in the match, the England hopeful might provide Southgate a more accurate representation of what he could expect if selected next month.

Newcastle United have reportedly expressed their interest in signing out-of-favour Real Madrid midfielder Marco Asensio.

Asensio, 26, debuted for Madrid back in 2016, racking up 244 appearances and 50 goals across all club competitions in the seven seasons since.

However, despite tallying a career-high 10 LaLiga goals in the 2021-22 campaign, Asensio has been relegated to a bench role this season, and will be a free agent next year if he is not offered a new contract.

TOP STORY – NEWCASTLE HOPE TO LURE ASENSIO TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE

With Asensio in the last year of his contract, Milan have been the team most closely linked with the Spanish international, until Calciomercato added that Newcastle have thrown their hat into the ring.

Despite soon being available on a free transfer, Asensio's contract demands will likely rule out a number of high-profile interested parties, but with Newcastle's new spending power and their inability to land some key targets, he should be well within their financial capabilities.

Asensio is primed to represent Spain at the World Cup, with a report from AS claiming he hopes to earn a new Madrid contract with some impressive performances.

ROUND UP:

– Tottenham target Weston McKennie will be allowed to leave Juventus at the end of the season, according to Calciomercato.

– The 'Here We Go' podcast claims the agent of Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix is exploring options for next season, with Manchester United said to have strong interest in the 22-year-old.

– According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Lazio will look to bring in another striker in January to help cover for injured star Ciro Immobile, with Sampdoria's Francesco Caputo named as a likely target.

– 90min is reporting both Chelsea and Newcastle United are investigating a move for Brighton's Leandro Trossard, with former Brighton and Hove Albion manager Graham Potter at Chelsea and former Seagulls sporting director Dan Ashworth now at Newcastle.

– United, Arsenal and Bayern Munich are all said to be weighing up moves for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, although the Nigerian's manager claims he is happy in Italy.

Antonio Conte allayed fears of Richarlison missing the World Cup, but confirmed he will not be available for Tottenham's game with Manchester United on Wednesday.

Richarlison suffered a calf injury in Spurs' 2-0 victory over his former team Everton and was taken off in the 52nd minute before later being seen on crutches, causing concern he could face a race against time to be fit for Brazil's World Cup opener against Serbia on November 24.

In a tearful interview after the game, Richarlison told ESPN Brazil: "It's kind of hard to say because it's close to the realisation of my dream."

But when questioned over Richarlison potentially missing the World Cup, Conte had an optimistic message.

"The injury of Richarlison, he's [having] a scan and then we will see how long he needs to recover," Conte told reporters. "But for sure against United, he's not available.

"I can confirm that the player is not risking not playing the World Cup, absolutely."

Conte was unsure whether Richarlison's fellow forward Dejan Kulusevski would be fit for Wednesday's game at Old Trafford, after the Sweden international missed the Everton match with a hamstring injury.

"Kulusevski is working, we'll see," Conte added. "We have to go day by day with him.

"The medical department are working a lot to try to recover him, but we don't know about the game against United."