England captain Harry Kane likes to drop deep and create chances for his fellow attackers - which is something Thomas Tuchel's side should embrace in the absence of Bukayo Saka08:00, 22 Jun 2026When England raced into a 3-0 lead over Spain in Seville back in October 2018, Harry Kane looked capable of taking Gareth Southgate's team to another level.‌On the back of World Cup semi-final agony, the Three Lions finally looked ready to fulfil their potential on the international stage after tearing La Roja apart in their own backyard.‌The Nations League clash eventually finished 3-2 but Kane flourished in a playmaker role as Raheem Sterling struck twice and Marcus Rashford also found the target.‌Kane assisted both of his fellow forwards and excelled while holding up the ball and playing deadly defence-splitting passes.He still has that in his locker but now he's scoring more goals than ever too. England's inspirational captain has mustered 69 goals in 59 matches for club and country since August.Only Lionel Messi has managed more - 82 in 69 games in 2011-12 - in a single campaign in the 21st century.‌Kane's positioning is a contentious topic nowadays. Most feel that because he's such a prolific goalscorer, there is no need for him to drop deep when he's most effective in the opposition penalty box.Bukayo Saka's injury changes the picture slightly though. Saka is not the speediest winger, he's not slow either, but he's incredibly sharp in the mind.His game is centred around creating angles and goals, dribbling and generally, attacking efficiency. When Saka is on the pitch, Kane knows he's not the sole source of creativity.‌However, when the Arsenal forward is sidelined or on the bench, he seems to feel an extra sense of responsibility to drop back, get on the ball and thread passes into the final third.Against Croatia, it worked to devastating effect at various points because the likes of Noni Madueke, Anthony Gordon and Jude Bellingham were all prepared to run beyond him.‌The same applies to sub Rashford, who helped himself to his fourth World Cup goal. While it's no secret that Madueke is not Saka, he is a different kind of profile player to his club team-mate.Saka would always prefer the ball to feet whereas Madueke relishes the chance to burst into space, though he's comfortable in possession also.While Saka's fitness needs to be managed, England will be slightly more unpredictable. Kane has the capacity to drop slightly deeper and wrap balls in behind, all the while remaining a big goal threat - just like he did against Croatia.‌Bellingham's role in all of this should not be underplayed, either. He is savvy enough to know when to drive beyond Kane and when to hold down his position before feeding off scraps on the edge of the box.There is no doubt that Saka is a crucial player but England coped impressively without him during the first match and that should provide encouragement that they are not overly reliant on their first-choice right-winger.Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.