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Thomas Tuchel admitted there is no second Harry Kane and called him as influential as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after England’s World Cup preparations took another dent with their main forward missing during a dismal 1-0 defeat by Japan.

Tuchel experimented after losing Kane to a sore foot in training, with Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Anthony Gordon deployed as fluid front four in Tuesday night’s friendly at Wembley. However, the system failed to fire and England’s lack of creativity as they registered another disappointing result against top-20 opposition left the head coach facing questions over whether his side will be too reliant on their captain for goals this summer.

“Why would Argentina not rely on Messi or Portugal on Ronaldo?” Tuchel said. “Key figures left camp and we saw that a bit. Today in the first half we played way too narrow. Second half we had more width, we were more dynamic on the wings, using the full-backs more, we took more risks and we made more chances but couldn’t convert.

“Bayern Munich in the absence of Harry Kane has not the same threat, no team in the world has the same threat, it’s just normal. If top teams rely on top players and top nations rely on top players, that’s just absolutely normal.

“Harry dropped out, so we lost not only him as a player, we lost him as a personality, it’s always a bit disrupting if the captain leaves the last training after 15 minutes and is out of the squad. We can win games without Harry, we will win without Harry, we have won without Harry. It’s easier to win matches with Harry.”

Tuchel, who was also without Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, John Stones, Reece James and Bukayo Saka, tried Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin as conventional No 9s during last Friday’s draw with Uruguay. The approach against Japan was more fluid but just as unsuccessful.

“We changed the system against Uruguay, and played with a No 9,” Tuchel said. “Today we played with Phil Foden, and later with Dom Solanke. But I’m not looking for a second Harry Kane. There’s just no second Harry Kane.”

Tuchel said the performances in their final camp before the World Cup had given him “more clarity” over to name in his 26-man squad. Asked about Palmer and Foden, he said that England’s forwards had not offered enough in the final third.