By Sean Walsh
England captain Harry Kane has declared he will be fit to take on the Netherlands in their Euro 2024 semi-final on Wednesday.
The Three Lions captain was substituted during extra-time of the Three Lions' quarter-final triumph against Switzerland on penalties.
Kane was hobbling around and looked physically fatigued before he was barged off the pitch by Swiss defender Manuel Akanji, into manager Gareth Southgate and over a water bottle holder. He received medical attention before the decision was made to withdraw him, with Ivan Toney coming on in his place.
But speaking to reporters post-match, Kane insisted the injury was minor and he should be able to play in the next round.
"Yeah, I'm fine - I was just tired. I had a bit of cramp there. I tripped over the water bottles and got cramp in both calves," he said.
"The boss made a quick decision obviously with Iv, a proven penalty taker. He came on and did the job."
England put in another drab performance against Switzerland and looked to be heading out of the tournament when they fell behind to a late Breel Embolo goal, only for Bukayo Saka to quickly equalise.
But Kane is adamant that performances are improving and England are trending upwards ahead of Wednesday's semi-final.
"It was definitely our best performance," he continued. "The system caused them problems and we got on the ball more. We played in their final third more. Still just lacked a bit of end product.
"Tournaments are tough. These games are tough. You have to find a way to get through them.
"The longer we go in the competition in the manner that we’re doing, it just give us more and more belief that we're finding ways to win. That's an important factor in big competitions.
"We're enjoying the ride. We're proud to be in another semi-final. We know how much it means to everyone back home watching as well. We want to do everyone proud. That would be no different on Wednesday."
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Harry Kane issues injury update after colliding with Gareth Southgate.
