Former England manager Fabio Capello has claimed that the Three Lions players will be too tired from the domestic season to compete at this summer's World Cup.
Roy Hodgson's men were this week drawn alongside Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica for the tournament in Brazil, and will have to travel to the humid climate of the Amazon rainforest for their opening Group D match against the Azzurri.
Capello has insisted that the physicality of the Premier League and the lack of a winter break in English football mean that Hodgson's squad will be exhausted before their campaign has even started.
"England's players will not be at the top of their physical condition," he told reporters. "I have told you about this before. And Manaus, where they play Italy, will be really, really warm. That's another difficult thing.
"It's an interesting group and I don't know what will happen. I hope Italy will be good. It will be tougher for England. Italy sometimes arrive tired but in England the football is stronger, faster - they never stop.
"In Italy, there is a small break but it is good. You, at Christmas play even more, so it will be difficult. I think they have a good team - always. But it is always the same problem - it's simple. Physically, they are good in September, October, November. In March they are so-so, in May - no. One of the teams who have won the World Cup - Uruguay, Italy and England - will go home from this group."
Capello, who has led Russia to next summer's spectacle, managed England at the 2010 World Cup, where they were knocked out in the second round following a 4-1 defeat to Germany.
Joe Fish
