FIRST CHOICE: Kane will continue to lead the line for England

But if the Three Lions boss does decide to replace him Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridgeis favoured to get the nod rather than Footballer of the Year Jamie Vardy.

Hitman Kane, the Premier League’s top scorer on 25 goals, looked jaded in the 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday and rarely posed a threat as he played his 61st game of the season.

In contrast rival strikers Marcus Rashford of Manchester United and Sturridge have featured in just 19 and 27 matches, while even Leicester title winner Vardy played 16 fewer in the campaign.

Sturridge would come in rather than 24-goal Vardy because Hodgson believes the Liverpool striker’s game is better suited to the way he wants England to play.

But having given Kane the full 90 minutes in the match in Marseille, he is not ready to give up on the Tottenham ace yet.

Hodgson has told his men to treat the crunch clash with Wales like a cup final.

The England boss knows the seriousness of the Group B game in Lens, with a defeat to Chris Coleman’s table-toppers bound to be seen a catastrophe.

Wales won their opener against Slovakia 2-1 before the Three Lions disappointingly drew with Russia.

So Hodgson has urged his squad to see the British derby as a one-off and wants the same sort of intensity throughout as his team showed in the first half against the Russians.