England stars limber up with yoga, light training and darts - but Qatar heat a worry

All 26 of the playing squad took to the field at the Al Wakrah Sports Complex on Wednesday, close to the England hotel base, having arrived in Qatar a day earlier.

Advertisement

Kyle Walker was the most surprising inclusion at training, with the Manchester City full-back only having recently recovered from a groin operation.

James Maddison and Callum Wilson have also been suffering with niggles but were able to take part in a light session, which began with a lengthy team talk from assistant coach Steve Holland.

Advertisement

A big task for England, though, will be acclimatising to the heat with temperatures reaching 33c on Wednesday.

talkSPORT's England correspondent Faye Carruthers is in Qatar and says that the soaring temperatures has caught a few of the players off-guard.

Speaking to Hawksbee and Jacobs from England training in Doha, she said: "It's around 32 degrees at around 4.30pm and so it's dropped down, there's a little bit of a breeze.

Advertisement

"Of course, the first England game is going to be played at 4pm local time so it will be around this temperature, I would say very late 20s.

"Earlier on it was 32 degrees and I've just been inside with some of the players in the media centre that they've created at the Al Wakrah sports complex and every single one of them said 'it's really hot, it's way hotter than we were expecting'.

Advertisement

"That's how everybody from talkSPORT has felt as well. I walked to the mall which is about ten minutes from where I'm staying and I was dripping by the time I got there, so unpleasant conditions.

"But we're in that weird situation because with the air conditioning in the stadiums, I might need a coat when I'm pitch side, so it's a very strange experience."

Carruthers added: "For England's last two group games it's going to be at 10pm so it'll be much, much cooler but it's still quite humid and oppressive over here.

Advertisement

"One of the players did say to me that when they took the bus from the airport to their base in the south of Doha that there was no air conditioning in their coach and I felt for them because even in the evening it's pretty hot."

England stars later joined the media for interviews at the training base.

Leicester star Maddison even took part in a game of darts, and revealed the squad are feeling relaxed and full of optimism.

"The mood is brilliant. We've got an absolutely fantastic football team," he said.

Advertisement

"The team we have here at the FA and England are second to none.

"The set-up we got to the hotel it's been absolutely brilliant. It is all down to the finer things, like the little touches.

"I checked into my room and there are little framed pictures of my little boy and my family. It is just little things like that.

Advertisement

"Everybody is in good spirits and can't wait to get going."

Earlier on Wednesday, the England players did a yoga session at their hotel.

They are staying at the Souq Al Wakra Hotel, which is close to their training base at the 12,000-seater home of Al Wakrah SC and around 30-minute drive to the capital city of Doha.

Advertisement

Having not played for England since 2019, Maddison said he felt instantly at home in camp.

He continued: "We've all seen England at major tournaments in recent years. They have been brilliant. At the Euros, and at Russia, you could see there was a feel. There was togetherness there for everyone to see publicly and in-house.

Advertisement

"Coming back into the squad and meeting up for the first few days it's been the same kind of thing. You can feel it - there has been a really good energy.

"Ex players have spoke about when they've met up with England and atmosphere not being right and there being rivalry from different clubs but there's none of that here.

"There's such a good feel and there is a good balanced group between youth and experience."