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Aston Villa vs Bayern: Harry Kane starts amid injury concerns

Harry Kane has shrugged off injury concerns and been named in Bayern Munich's starting lineup for their Champions League clash with Aston Villa on Thursday.

Kane had gone off late in Bayern's 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday after hurting his ankle while vying for the ball.

Vincent Kompany had remained coy on his fitness status ahead of the game but had said he looked in "good shape" on his return to training on Tuesday.

Kane scored four goals in Bayern's last outing in the Champions League, where they beat Dinamo Zagreb 9-2. Meanwhile, Villa kicked off their return to the competition with a convincing 3-0 win away at Young Boys.

Meanwhile, Kane's compatriot Ollie Watkins has been named in the starting lineup for Aston Villa. In the leadup to the game, the 28-year-old had outlined his ambition to usurp Kane as England's leading striker.

"Everyone is fighting for a position on the pitch so I want to be the man to play but day in day out," Watkins said. "Harry and I have a good relationship.

"When I'm in the camp I speak to him so there's no animosity. I'm doing all I can to be on the pitch and so is he. He's got the records and scored the number of goals he has for a reason. He's put in a lot of hard work over the years to get there."