‘No excuses’ – Harry Kane sends out defiant message ahead of Champions League tie with Inter after Bayern hit by injury crisis

When Inter and Bayern collide in the Champions League quarter-finals next week, it will be a meeting of two of Europe’s most storied football clubs. With both sides currently topping their respective domestic leagues - Inter leading Serie A and Bayern at the summit of the Bundesliga - expectations are sky-high.

However, Bayern’s preparations have been dealt a significant blow following the injury to Jamal Musiala. The young midfielder was forced off during the second half of Bayern’s recent 3-1 win over Augsburg after injuring his left hamstring while attempting to block a clearance. The club has since confirmed that Musiala suffered a torn muscle, ruling him out for the foreseeable future, including both legs of the tie against Inter.

Kane, however, is refusing to let injuries derail Bayern’s Champions League dream.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Kane said: "Our goal is to succeed. And to achieve that, we need everyone. It will be up to the players who don’t play as often. But there are no excuses. Every team deals with injuries and absences. We’ve managed these situations well throughout the season. Now is not the time to stop."

For Kane, lifting the Champions League trophy has always been a personal ambition.

"It’s something I’ve dreamt about practically my entire life," he said. "Doing it at our home stadium would make it even more special. I think it’s brilliant to have the chance to do something like this. But first, we have two big, tough matches ahead of us against Inter. We’ll have to be ready. Knowing that on our day, we can beat anyone. We’ve already shown that. But here it will be a question of being consistent over the first and second legs. Then we’ll see what we can get, keeping in mind that we all have extra motivation.”

As Bayern Munich brace for one of their biggest tests of the season, their leading man has made his intentions crystal clear: it’s all or nothing. Kane is yet to win any silverware, and lifting the Champions League and the Bundesliga crown in the same season will be a dream come true for the Englishman.