News Focus
- Jordan Henderson advises teammates to adapt to extreme Florida heat
- England squad training in West Palm Beach with temperatures hitting 32C
- Thomas Tuchel recommended USA holidays for acclimatisation
- First Group L match against Croatia scheduled for 17 June in Dallas
- Kobbie Mainoo says players working hard to adjust to humidity
Jordan Henderson has told his England teammates they must face the hot weather in Florida directly. The veteran midfielder says this will help them prepare for the high temperatures at the upcoming World Cup.
Most of the England team have now arrived in the United States. They are staying in Florida, which is known as the Sunshine State. The players are getting ready for the tournament that starts next week.
However, five players will join the group later this week. These include Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
The squad held their first training session in West Palm Beach on Tuesday. The temperature reached 32 degrees Celsius during the practice.
England manager Thomas Tuchel had already told his players to spend their post-season holiday in America. He wanted them to get used to the heat and the time difference. Marcus Rashford was one player who followed this advice.
Henderson is preparing for his seventh major tournament. The Brentford player explained that the team needs to build their ability to play in hot conditions.
“You just build your capacity to these conditions,” he said. “I know the weather changes depending on where you play in the country. It is difficult to fully adapt. But this week is important for building that capacity and getting used to the heat.”
He added that the warm-up matches will also help. “We need to get that exposure as best we can. We have an amazing team behind us who have done lots of research. They are working on cooling down and recovery at a top level.”
Research suggests that almost one in four World Cup matches could be played in temperatures above 26 degrees Celsius.
England will start their Group L campaign against Croatia on 17 June. The match will take place in Dallas, Texas. They will then play Ghana in Massachusetts on 23 June. Their final group game is against Panama on 27 June at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo also spoke about the conditions. He said the squad are working very hard to get used to the weather quickly.
“Hopefully by the first game we will be ready and feel like home,” he said. “It is not about keeping cool because the weather will stay like this. We need to get used to the heat and the humidity.”
Mainoo admitted it is tough to prepare for this type of humidity. “It is very different to anything I have played in before. But hopefully over the next couple of weeks, we can feel comfortable and at home.”