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France warn England over Tottenham connection aiding their plan to stop Harry Kane at World Cup 2022

France warn England over Tottenham connection aiding their plan to stop Harry Kane at World Cup 2022

France have warned Harry Kane that his Tottenham team-mate Hugo Lloris knows his game inside out, ahead of Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final with England.

Kane scored his first goal of the tournament in the last-16 win over Senegal and has said he is aiming to hit top form in the knockouts.

The England captain, however, will have to find a way past France goalkeeper Lloris who is set to win a record 143rd cap for his country and is aiming to be first skipper ever to lift two World Cups.

Kane and Lloris have been clubmates for the forward’s entire career and France’s assistant manager Guy Stephan reminded England: “Hugo obviously knows Harry Kane, because they have been playing together for years.

“He knows how he shoots, he knows how he closes his foot sometimes. He knows what is going on in his head. He knows how he moves on the pitch.

“So we can consider it a match within a match, because those are players that are playing for the same club. I think will be talking to each other when they get back to Tottenham, and I hope one will be a bit happier than the other!”

At the other end, England will have to keep out Kylian Mbappe, who missed training on Tuesday night.

Mbappe worked indoors on an exercise bike, while other France players did a pitch session, but the 23-year-old does not have a specific injury and is fully expected to play on Saturday.