The National Times - Kane admits last-minute decision to make Bayern bench

Kane has been nursing a calf injury since Bayern's Champions League game against Celtic last Tuesday and had only trained briefly before the visit of Frankfurt.

Having expected to miss the game, Kane was a surprise inclusion on the bench for Vincent Kompany’s side.

"I didn't train for a few days after the Celtic game, and we just tried to give it as much rest as possible," Kane told reporters after the game.

"Yesterday I felt for about 30 minutes and it felt ok.

"We made a decision today (Sunday) to be on the bench and I think it was the right call. You know, we needed fresh legs, fresh energy on the pitch and that's exactly what happened.

"A last-minute decision is not always best for the coach, but it was the right call today.

"It was nice to get that 20 minutes at the end just to see how it felt — and it felt good. We have five more days until the game on Friday and it should be fine.

"The team are off tomorrow (Monday) so I will get some treatment and be in the best possible shape for Friday."

Bayern, who travel to Stuttgart next on Friday night, broke Frankfurt's resistance in first half stoppage time before steam-rolling their opponents in a dominant performance to stay eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.

Kane was introduced for Thomas Mueller in the 64th minute, and they were 64 frustrating minutes for the England captain.

"To be honest, I hate watching the game when I'm not involved. I don't enjoy it," Kane admitted.

- 'Dominant performance' -

"But the performance was really top from everyone. There were a lot of fresh players in there today who hadn't played for a game or so and I think you saw that energy from the start.

"Without the ball, I think was the biggest difference compared with recent recent games. We just suffocated them and gave them very few opportunities and created quite a few. A real dominant performance."

Bayern will face Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League last 16 in an all-German contest that Kane is eagerly anticipating, with the first leg at the Allianz Arena on March 5.

The teams have already met three times this season - twice in the league and once in the German Cup, a game that Leverkusen won 1-0. The other two games have been drawn — and Kane is anticipating another close one.

"It will be tough. Whether we got Leverkusen or Madrid, it would have been two tough games. We remember the performance we had against them with 10 men. If we go into that game with the same dominant performance we had today, we can hurt them.

"They are probably looking at the fact that they beat us and are thinking that they can do that again. We have to try to bring the energy that we brought today and for the majority of the season. They will be exciting games.

P.Murphy--TNT