Harry Kane is suffering from playing too many games, but must continue to start for England, according to former Three Lions defender Gary Neville.
The Tottenham striker played 53 competitive games for club and country last season, and was largely without a back-up for his club due to Mauricio Pochettino's reluctance to use Fernando Llorente, while he missed just one game in the Three Lions' World Cup semi-final charge.
But Neville believes that any fatigue Kane is suffering stems from an even longer period of games in which he has played without an extended rest.
"There are questions about how fatigue will be affecting this England team after the summer, especially Harry Kane, and there will be players who might be starting to feel it now and not feeling as strong or fit," the former Manchester United captain told Sky Sports ahead of England’s Nations League game against Spain on Saturday.
"It's not one tournament, it's the accumulation of the physical demands where you haven't had any breaks. It usually hits you at three years without a real break and I did struggle in the 2000-01 season at the age of around 25. I hit a wall after I'd played in Euro 1996, the Tournoi in 1997, World Cup 1998, won the 1999 treble and then we went on a summer tour and all of that took it out of me.
"There's no doubt that they need that month or two break. However, they will naturally pick up injuries which will give them that break and allow their whole body to recover."
However, the former Valencia coach does not see Gareth Southgate giving Kane getting the rest he needs following the inception of the Nations League, adding: "I think with Harry and other players who play week in week out, Saturday-Wednesday and all summer, what you would say is they continue to soldier on and maybe do dip in sharpness, but their level is still high enough to play.
"So, it is very difficult for a manager to give them a break because they look tired. Harry is playing at a high level, perhaps not at his peak, but there's no way you can rest your captain for a competitive fixture.
"Historically, there were times where you could do deals between club and international managers to deal with fatigue, when there were friendly games around November, but I just don't think players would want to miss these games."
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright agrees, citing a lack of cover at international level as another factor, particularly following Jamie Vardy's retirement from England duty. He feels that too many young English strikers are not getting the opportunities that they need at their clubs.
"It annoys me that Marcus Rashford doesn't play down the middle. When he emerged, he was a centre-forward and scored. But as he's got the pace and the know-how to drop back, he's been turned into a winger. He should be playing up the centre. Rashford and even someone like Dominic Calvert-Lewin won't play through the middle due to Romelu Lukaku and Cenk Tosun," Wright told Sky Sports’ ‘The Debate’.
"Are they going to play at the level in order to push the current strikers in the England team? We're going to need these players to get playing and get scoring in order to push people like Harry Kane."
England go up against Spain at Wembley in their first Nations League fixture on Saturday, before facing Switzerland in a friendly at Leicester’s King Power Stadium next Tuesday.