Players need to rest, rehydrate and refuel

After the elation of the penalty shootout victory, the reality of the tournament treadmill will hit hard for some of the England squad. There is no time for celebrations: the players need to recover quickly and fully, to be able to go again within 72 hours.

Physically and mentally drained from their exertions, they will have likely crashed after their adrenalin spike on Tuesday night in Moscow. Ahead of them is a strict diet, intensity monitoring and heavily structured days. The bonus may be extended lie-ins and plenty of food and drink.

The team chose not to stay over in Moscow but to fly that night. It meant a 6am return at Repino and one night of missed sleep. Recent scientific studies concluded that sleep patterns are most disturbed after late-night matches for several days, where 52.3 per cent of elite athletes reported sleep disturbances. Sleep is a critical but undervalued part of recovery.

It will help prepare players for not only the physical battle, but the psychological stress of 90 minutes of quick decisions under pressure. Now is the time to trade rest and relaxation under the duvet for time on the training pitch.

Nutrition is often another missing link in maintaining performance at the highest level. The intermittent nature of the exercise during matches is associated with rapid muscle glycogen breakdown. Glycogen is the primary fuel that your body uses for energy and therefore is vital for performance.

Muscle glycogen stores of the players will have been depleted and, therefore, need to be replenished. The post-match meal will have been rich in carbohydrates but this trend will continue in the coming days as a study in 2011 showed it can take up to 72 hours for glycogen stores to be replaced.

Cramp is also likely to have played a role in Moscow. Southgate described the dressing room as looking like a scene from M*A*S*H and it will be crucial for the medical team to have as much time as possible with the players, patching up knocks and ensuring they fully declare their injury status. The last thing the team need is a player hiding an injury.

Many commentators are also talking about the impact that the possible 90F (32C) heat will have on Saturday afternoon. There will be none of the psychological issues that northern European teams often create for themselves when playing South American or African teams. They will, though, be facing a Sweden team who have had a half-day advantage on them for