THOMAS TUCHEL’S World Cup substitutions will hold the key to England’s success – because his starting XI will hit the wall far earlier than normal.
’s training camp in Florida has already given the Three Lions an insight into the burning temperatures and high humidity likely to impact performance levels.
Thomas Tuchel will have to use substitutions to his advantage at this summer’s World Cup Credit: PA
England stars could lose 3lbs an hour amid sweltering temperatures in the US Credit: PA
The manager and his players will head to their Kansas City base on Saturday to fine-tune preparations for the opener against in Dallas four days later.
The pitch at the Dallas Stadium is one of 11 surfaces newly laid by in the arenas being used – the majority of which are normally artificial turf.
But sports injury specialist Stephen Smith believes fears over the risk of serious knee injuries on ‘drop-in’ pitches may have been overblown.
Former union physio Smith is now based in California, where he is chief executive of Kitman Labs, the performance company which works with Prem, NFL and teams.
He warns soaring temperatures, which will be well over 30C, mean coaches must be aware of the impact on players.
England’s Group L opener is set to be indoors, as the AT&T Stadium has a retractable roof, but they then play outside in Boston and New York/New Jersey.
Smith said: “The temperatures we’re looking at, water loss can exceed 3lb per hour, which is why Fifa implemented the three-minute cooling breaks each half and climate-controlled benches.
“Heat is not a fringe issue. Hot pitches dry faster and harden, so hot players compete faster and have worse landing mechanics.
A sports injury specialist has played down concerns over the state of World Cup pitches Credit: Reuters
“There will be a drop-off in physical output faster than we typically see and therefore we’ll probably see more rotation to offset that.
“It will not be a change in terms of the speed of the game because the athletes, the capacity they have is what they have.
“But if a team starts to drop off in terms of physicality and an opposition coach brings in fresh legs and they can continue at the same physical level, it could have a dramatic impact on the game. So that becomes a tactical consideration.”
Last year’s in the USA saw coaches slamming the quality of the pitches, which were laid on trays just a few days before.
Spurs are investigating if their spate of injuries is related to the pitch that is rolled up to allow NFL games and concerts at the Stadium.
And similar issues are causing concern at Real Madrid’s rebuilt Bernabeu.
But Smith explained: “The majority of anterior cruciate knee ligament injuries in football are non-contact.
England players are set to benefit from spending two weeks in Florida before the World Cup Credit: PA
“They happen during deceleration, landing or pivoting when the foot is planted. It’s more about the boots players are wearing.
“What matters is how the pitch is built, what are the underlying systems, the irrigation, drainage, the airflow.
“These pitches at the World Cup have been down for much longer and the trays aren’t laid on the Tarmac but rooted.
“The grass was grown on plastic with a sand base so roots can establish, then stitched in with hybrid fibres.”
Smith added: “Both physiologically and mentally, there’s a gain for from spending two weeks in Florida before the tournament.
“Acclimatising is a super smart approach. Players learn how to deal with that environment, to adapt the way they recover and hydrate.
“If you’re trying to learn on the go in the knockout portion, that absolutely puts you at a disadvantage.
“And Kansas City, in the Central Time Zone, makes sense as well, especially given where they are playing.
“It’ll still depend on how they rotate their players, how they manage preparations but it makes decision-making a little easier and things a little less complex.”
Stephen Smith is chief executive of Palo Alto-based Kitman Labs.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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