• England forward has not scored for six games • Kane hits crossbar and has effort ruled offside against Croatia

Gareth Southgate has backed Harry Kane to recover from a six-game barren spell with the national team after England emerged from a surreal goalless draw against Croatia played in an empty stadium frustrated to have earned only a point.

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Kane, the World Cup’s Golden Boot winner, last scored with a penalty against Colombia in the knockout phase in Moscow and saw a header thump on to the crossbar and another attempt ruled out for offside in Rijeka. His current drought equals his longest period without an international goal.

“He buried that chance but was just offside, but Harry will get us goals,” said Southgate, who had changed his formation in a bid to unsettle the World Cup’s beaten finalists. “We were a real threat. The most important thing for the team is we create chances, look dangerous, and I have faith the players who didn’t score will score.

“This feels like a game we should have won but I was really pleased with the way we played. We dictated the flow for a long period and the second-half performance was excellent, pushing right to the end. I couldn’t ask for more from the players. We just have to make sure we finish the chances. On another day, we will.”

Southgate was expected to revert to 3-5-2 in Monday’s tie against Spain, but must now prepare for that fixture without the suspended Jordan Henderson and John Stones, who each accrued their second yellow card of the Nations League for fouls on Ivan Rakitic.

Yet the manager departed enthused by England’s performance, not least given the strangeness of the occasion in the absence of supporters.

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“It wasn’t an easy pitch, either, especially in the final third with people slipping and the ball bouncing up at the wrong moment,” he said. “But good teams adapt. Good teams, whatever the circumstances or the atmosphere or the pitch, find a way of playing.

“I was pleased the players did that and was particularly pleased with Ben Chilwell, who had a super debut: very composed defending against top quality players, good interceptions and use of the ball, getting forward well. Also Ross Barkley, who had a good impact on the game as well.

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“And I had no hesitation in throwing Jadon Sancho on late on. We know he can have an impact on the game, and he did that when we eventually got the ball to him. So there were lots of encouraging things. We’re disappointed not to have won but I have to focus on the way we played. And tonight we played well.”