WARM-UP EXERCISE

ENGLAND players have gone through strenuous fitness tests as they brace themselves for huge temperature changes in Russia.

Gareth Southgate (above) will take his squad to their base in Repino, St Petersburg, which is up to 20C cooler than Volgograd where they play their first game against Tunisia on June 18.

FA chiefs are confident the temperatures will not be a major issue, but yesterday it was 11C in St Petersburg and a scorching 29C in Volgograd, nearly 1,000 miles away.

St Petersburg is cooler than Moscow, but Southgate wanted to base the squad in a quieter place than the capital.

They were put through their paces last week to ensure they are ready for the tournament. But one of the biggest problems will be Russia’s vastly different temperatures.