Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane will reportedly be granted a week off following England's heartbreaking quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup.
The 29-year-old and the rest of the Three Lions squad flew back from Qatar to the UK on Sunday around 24 hours after losing to current world champions France at the Al Bayt Stadium.
Six minutes after Olivier Giroud had put Les Bleus 2-1 ahead, Kane was presented with an opportunity to restore parity from the penalty spot for a second time after scoring in the 54th minute, but he blazed his second effort from 12 yards over the crossbar.
Kane was consoled by his teammates at full time and has since expressed the 'hurt' that he feels for not leading his nations into the semi-finals.
"Absolutely gutted. We've given it everything and it's come down to a small detail which I take responsibility for," Kane wrote on Twitter.
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"There's no hiding from it, it hurts and it'll take some time to get over it but that's part of sport.
"Now it's about using the experience to be mentally and physically stronger for the next challenge. Thanks for all the support throughout the tournament – it means a lot."
According to the Daily Mail, Kane has been given a week off to rest and recuperate from the physical and mental strains of England duty and he is scheduled to return to Tottenham on December 19.
The report adds that Spurs and England teammate Eric Dier, who was also part of Gareth Southgate's 26-man squad, will also report back at the beginning of next week.
Both Kane and Dier are therefore set to miss Tottenham's friendly encounter at home against Ligue 1 side Nice on December 21.
A separate report from the Evening Standard, meanwhile, claims that Kane is keen to return before Antonio Conte's side resume their Premier League campaign away against Brentford on Boxing Day.
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Kane contributed with two goals and three assists in five appearances at the World Cup, with his solitary goal against France drawing him level with Wayne Rooney (53) as England all-time leading scorer.
The striker was also in impressive form at club level before he made the trip to Qatar, scoring 12 goals in 15 Premier League appearances.
Kane was one of 11 Tottenham players selected to represent their country at the World Cup and there are still three Spurs stars competing in Qatar, with Croatia's Ivan Perisic, Argentina's Cristian Romero and France captain Hugo Lloris all vying for glory on the biggest international stage.
Perisic and Romero are set to lock horns when Croatia face Argentina in a semi-final showdown on Tuesday, while Lloris is expected to play between the sticks when Les Bleus take on Morocco on Wednesday.
Oliver Thomas
