Harry Kane’s bid to become the first player in 71 years to score a hat-trick in three consecutive English league games could be ruined by illness.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino told the in-form striker to stay at home on Friday after suffering a cold.
Kane, who scored back-to-back trebles against Burnley and Southampton over Christmas, will be assessed on a day-to-day basis in the lead-up to Spurs’ visit to Swansea on Tuesday night.
Seven players have achieved the feat of scoring three goals in three consecutive matches in the history of the Football League, but no player has done it in the post-1992, Premier League era. The last to achieve the feat was Liverpool’s Jack Balmer in November 1946.
Spurs are not in action this weekend but must then play three times in six days from Tuesday as they visit Swansea, host West Ham on Thursday night and then play AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.
Pochettino said of Kane: ‘He is ill, a cold. He is at home because he cannot move and is not feeling good. The doctor was there at his house.
‘We will see tomorrow if he comes to training. I don’t know whether he will be available or not.’
Kane outscored Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during what has been a spectacular 2017 and Pochettino insists no bid is big enough to tempt Tottenham to sell him.
Indeed, Spurs are likely to offer England striker Kane, 24, a major boost on his weekly wages of £110,000.
He said: ‘We want him here so there is no current price. He has always been treated as a superstar here.
‘Nothing has changed, we trusted him from day one here because we felt the potential and he deserves credit for all he has achieved.’
Pochettino also believes Dele Alli, who returned to scoring form against Southampton on Boxing Day, has achieved more by the age of 21 than Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
‘No player his age has achieved what he has,’ he said. ‘He has achieved more than those big names.’