'You can't expect Kane to play three games a week' - Mourinho must manage Spurs striker's return, says Robinson

Jose Mourinho must manage Harry Kane's return to the pitch carefully, according to Paul Robinson, who says the Tottenham striker can't be expected to play three games a week.

Kane has not featured for Spurs since suffering a hamstring injury during a 1-0 defeat against Southampton at St Mary's on January 1.

The 26-year-old was forced to undergo surgery on the issue, and had to watch on from the sidelines as Tottenham embarked on a miserable run of form before the coronavirus-enforced break in the season.

Mourinho's men failed to win any of their final six matches, exiting both the Champions League and FA Cup along the way, but they do still have an outside chance of finishing in the Premier League's top four when the campaign resumes.

Kane has benefitted from the extra recovery time while in quarantine, and is now back in training with the rest of his team-mates ahead of a huge meeting with Manchester United on June 19.

However, Robinson has warned Mourinho against rushing a prized asset back into the fold, with a congested fixture list likely to increase the risk of injuries.

The ex-Spurs goalkeeper told Sky Sports: "You have to worry whether Harry Kane can play two or three games a week, whether he can play 90 minutes on a Saturday and then have to wait again for the following Saturday to play another 90 minutes.

"It will be all about how Jose (Mourinho) manages the situation because you can't expect a player whose been out after that length of time to be able to come back and play three games a week with all the demands Premier League football puts on you.

"Managers are going to have to be very aware and conscious as to how they man-manage their players fitness, injuries and squad rotation.

"Squad rotation, in particular, is going to be huge in the next three or four weeks with the amount of games - training is going to be minimal so it's going to be all about preparation and recovery."

Tottenham find themselves down in eighth in the top-flight standings, seven points behind Chelsea in the race for the final Champions League spot. Mourinho could see his side make up significant ground on their rivals if they secure all three points against United, before focus shifts to a London derby against West Ham on June 23.