Image source, Getty Images

England appearances: 5

Goals: 0

Assists: 0

Dominic Solanke was the one Thomas Tuchel trusted to lead the line in the friendly against Uruguay.

And the 28-year-old Tottenham striker, who has missed large parts of the season with a knee injury and scored only three goals in 12 games for his club side, was a busy man up front against the South Americans at Wembley.

During 56 minutes on the field, he attempted three shots, with two of them on target, and had four touches inside the box as he built a good understanding with Noni Madueke up front, before being replaced by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

It was his first start for England and came eight years and 133 days after his international debut as a substitute against Brazil in November 2017.

Solanke was also brought on for the final half hour as a traditional focal point against Japan after Phil Foden was given the chance to play from the start as a false nine. However, the Spurs striker had little chance to prove himself on Tuesday in what was a disjointed display by England.

Click thumbs up if you think Solanke would be Kane's ideal deputy, or thumbs down if you don't...

We will coming to Marcus Rashford and Ollie Watkins shortly, Ian.

Image source, Getty Images

England appearances: 12

Goals: 4

Assists: 0

When Dominic Calvert-Lewinspoke of renewed England ambitions after completing a free transfer from Everton to Leeds United in the summer, eyebrows were raised at his optimism.

But his rejuvenation and continued fitness at Elland Road this season has prompted a return for the 29-year-old to the national team set-up with the World Cup on the horizon.

Calvert-Lewin, along with Danny Welbeck, are the only English strikers to have scored 10 or more Premier League goals this season.

His substitute appearance against Uruguay on Friday was his first international minutes since July 2021, when he played 17 minutes off the bench against Ukraine at the delayed Euros.

However, he was not included in Tuchel's matchday squad for the defeat by Japan last night.

Click thumbs up if you think Calvert-Lewin would be Kane's ideal deputy, or thumbs down if you don't...

Image source, Getty Images

England appearances: 42

Goals: 16

Assists: 4

Danny Welbeck was a glaring omission from Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.

Welbeck is the Englishman to score the most goals in the Premier League this season and hit a double as Brighton beat Liverpool on 21 March.

He may be 35 but he is showing age is just a number after scoring his 11th and 12th league goals of the season against the Champions League-chasing Reds.

While he was unable to show Tuchel what he could do on the international stage before the German coach decides on his squad for this summer's World Cup, he could yet make a case to be in the squad if his performances at club level continue in the same vein.

Click thumbs up if you think Welbeck would be Kane's ideal deputy, or thumbs down if you don't...

Right, let's gauge opinion by taking a look at some of the leading alternatives to Harry Kane.

Assuming that Thomas Tuchel sticks with his tried and tested system of 4-2-3-1, with Kane as the lead striker, we want to know who you think would be the best player to deputise for the England captain?

We will give you some background on each alternative player, just give them a thumbs up if you think they should be Tuchel's go-to option as Kane's first replacement, or thumbs down if you don't...

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John Murray is, of course, right.

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is enjoying an incredible season, having scored 47 goals in all competitions for the German side, and will most definitely lead the line for England at the 2026 World Cup.

The question is who acts as his deputy?

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins was long considered the deputy, scoring the winner in the Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands, but his patchy club form means he was not even included in England's latest squad.

Tottenham's Dominic Solanke is making his way back this season after several months on the sidelines with an ankle problem and has just three Premier League goals this season.

Danny Welbeck is the top-scoring English player in the English top flight this season with 12 goals but was overlooked while Dominic Calvert-Lewin was called up but used sparingly.

Marcus Rashford could fill the role but is now used in the wider positions, while Anthony Gordon has played through the centre for Newcastle United without ever looking a neat fit.

John Murray
BBC football correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's very simple. [Harry Kane] is such a titan. He is having, in spite of all the great years he has had, he is having the best year, best goalscoring season of his career. 48 goals for Bayern Munich, 53 in 45 appearances for club and country.

As Thomas Tuchel was saying post-match, he said Tottenham were not the same team without Harry Kane, Bayern Munich are not the same team without Harry Kane. He said later on, no team in the world has the same threat without Harry Kane in it. He said we can win without Harry Kane, but it is easier to win with him.

It is a simple fact, the prospect of England without Harry Kane is very different to an England with him.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, at Wembley for BBC Radio 5 Live, said: "This is the exact situation no England fan wants. We've talked about it for over a season with this World Cup coming up. What do England do without Harry Kane?

"This is what England and Thomas Tuchel do not want. He doesn't have an answer to this question. Hence why we're seeing this new formation again, with the interchange and false nine.

"We've spoken about Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dominic Solanke, Ollie Watkins. Nobody stuck their arm up and said 'I'll be his replacement'. That's why we're seeing this."

Robinson added: "It was a very disappointing evening for Thomas Tuchel. The experiment that he tried in the first half with the front four clearly didn't work.

"It didn't take him long in the second half to change it. You do give England credit because when those changes were made there was a lot more cohesion.

"The one area that Thomas Tuchel has got a problem is if there is a problem with Harry Kane. If that happens, then England have a real problem after watching that."

Thomas Tuchel answered the question about England's perceived over-reliance on Harry Kane by saying: "Well, why would Argentina not rely on Lionel Messi, or Portugal not rely on Cristiano Ronaldo? This is totally normal. Key figures left camp for us and we saw that a bit.

"We lacked a punch in the last 20 metres in both matches. We encouraged the players. It was difficult for us."

Click on the play icon below to listen to more from the England manager...

Is what England fan Matt Massey says fair?

Do the Three Lions have a chance of going far at the World Cup - maybe even winning it - if Harry Kane is not available?

The England captain was rested for Friday's draw with Uruguay and was not risked for Tuesday's defeat to Japan after picking up a knock in training.

Thomas Tuchel may well have wanted to test out other options, regardless, as he must now pick a 35-player squad by 31 May.

England managed just one goal in those two games this international break, which must be a concern to Tuchel, but is their reliance on Kane as leader and goal scorer a big talking point?

Thomas Tuchel was certainly doing his best to play it down...

BBC Radio 5 Live

England fan Matt Massey put it succinctly on BBC Radio 5 Live this morning: "There's three things that I have picked up. I think Cole Palmer is slightly up ahead of Phil Foden. I think both didn't play well over the two games [against Uruguay and Japan] but there's a shoot-out between them for number 10s that can go [to the World Cup].

"Out of [Jude] Bellingham, [Morgan] Rogers, Foden and Palmer, it looks like, probably, Foden will just drop out because when Palmer played against Uruguay it looked better.

"I think [Elliot] Anderson definitely has to start in midfield, I think he was the best player over the two games, easily.

"But without Harry Kane, if he can't start, we're screwed."

Image source, Getty Images

Got the World Cup buzz yet?

Click here for everything you need to know to start planning for the tournament.

Let's return to our main talking point of the day - who will score the goals for England if Harry Kane is unavailable?

Check out the montage below for a reminder that the Three Lions do know how to find the net at a World Cup...

World Cup

That all means that the groups for the 2026 World Cup - which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July - are now confirmed:

• Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
• Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
• Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
• Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
• Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
• Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
• Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
• Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
• Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
• Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
• Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
• Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

Mexico will host South Africa in the opening game of the World Cup at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City from 20:00 BST on Thursday, 11 June.

Scotland kick off their campaign against Haiti in Boston from 02:00 on Sunday, 14 June, while England face Croatia in their first match in Dallas at 21:00 on Wednesday, 17 June.

The World Cup final is in New Jersey on Sunday, 19 July.

The Democratic Republic of Congo qualified for their first World Cup in 52 years after Axel Tuanzebe's extra-time goal gave them a 1-0 win over Jamaica in their Inter-continental play-off final at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico.

Iraq are also through to the World Cup for the first time since 1986, under Australian head coach Graham Arnold, after beating Bolivia 2-1.

Image source, Getty Images

The Czech Republic reached the World Cup for the first time in 20 years by beating Denmark 3-1 on penalties in their play-off final in Prague.

Denmark were undone by a dire display in the shootout, as they missed the target with two spot-kicks and had another saved.

Turkey reached their first World Cup in 24 years as Kerem Akturkoglu's goal gave them a narrow win in their play-off with Kosovo.

Turkey had not qualified for the tournament since finishing third in the 2002 edition but will now face Australia, Paraguay and co-hosts the United States in Group C this summer.

Image source, Getty Images