Mist machines and ice vests will help England keep cool in Qatar
ENGLAND have hatched a plan to ensure players keep cool and beat the heat in their mission to win the World Cup.
Playing possession- based football is an integral part of Gareth Southgate’s philosophy and controlling the tempo of matches — particularly during the opener against Iran on Monday — has been emphasised to players.
Temperatures are forecast to reach 27°C (80°F) in the Khalifa Stadium for the 1pm kick- off (4pm local time) on Monday afternoon, and England are taking every precaution to ensure players are ready.
To reduce the impact of the heat during training, a mist machine — nicknamed ‘ the heat shack’ — has been installed on the side of the pitch.
Players are also using ice towels, which they first used during the opening game of last year’s Euros against Croatia.
Ice packs and ice vests have also been offered to players at training to keep them cool.
The high temperatures during last year’s Croatia clash at Wembley have been used as a reference point by England staff as they look to psychologically prepare the players.
Air conditioning in stadiums, which should bring the hottest temperatures down to around 23°C, will ease the strain.
Temperatures have reached as high as 33°C since England’s arrival here on Tuesday. Players have trained at 12.30pm, the hottest period of the day, and have spoken among themselves about how hot it has been.
Staff have exposed players to the sweltering midday sun during their opening days to ensure they acclimatise as quickly as possible. It is also hoped that earlier training sessions will guard against mental fatigue and ease biorhythm functions.
The next two sessions will be held closer to 4pm local time to replicate the conditions for the Iran game.
England midfielder Conor Gallagher said: ‘We needed the hard sessions because the tournament isn’t far away. But the next couple of days we’ll train later and not be in the sun. We hope it prepares us as well as possible.’
The remaining group games against the USA and Wales are both played at 10pm local time, when temperatures are significantly cooler. The knockout games will also be played when the sun has set.
The impact of soaring temperatures on players is a topic that has been significantly researched by FA staff.
They have analysed how other sports cope with heat and believe they have taken the appropriate measures to help optimise performance.
Meanwhile, there is a growing expectation that Southgate (left) will select Harry Maguire to start against Iran, despite his troubled domestic campaign. Maguire’s inclusion would represent a massive show of faith from the manager. But there is increasing concern over James Maddison’s involvement as he missed training for the second consecutive day.
The midfielder did appear momentarily with the rest of his team-mates for yesterday’s session, but promptly walked back indoors as the action started.
It was also noticeable that he was wearing trainers rather than football boots.
Maddison limped off with a knee problem in the first half of Leicester’s victory at West Ham last Saturday.