Thomas Tuchel is planning a warm-weather training break for his England squad next March followed by a pre-World Cup boot camp in Miami in June because of concerns about the effect of high temperatures on the players during the tournament in the US.
The England head coach has altered the Football Association’s usual travel itinerary this week by taking his squad to Barcelona for a six-day training camp to work them hard in the heat before the World Cup qualifier against Andorra on Saturday. Similar trips are on the agenda for next year.
Tuchel is working with the FA’s medical and sports science departments on strategies to mitigate the effects of high temperatures and he is keen to give the players as much exposure to extreme conditions as possible. The German intends to pay particular attention to the physical condition of the players when attending games at the Club World Cup this month, while the FA will send operational staff to the tournament in the US to scout for World Cup training bases and hotels.
Tuchel is understood to have expressed a preference for a pre‑World Cup training camp in Miami before England move to their tournament base. The location of the base will depend on the December draw.
A long-haul trip for warm-weather training during the March international break may be unpopular with club managers concerned about potential burnout before the Premier League and Champions League run-in, but that will not concern Tuchel.
After his first game in charge against Albania in March, he warned top-flight managers that he intended to pick his strongest side whenever possible. The 51-year-old also questioned Mikel Arteta’s decision to select Declan Rice for the second leg of Arsenal’s Champions League last-16 tie against PSV Eindhoven the previous week, given they had won the first leg 7-1.
Tuchel will have the freedom to take his side away next season if England win their World Cup qualifying group to avoid the playoffs. The FA would normally stage two lucrative matches at Wembley before a summer tournament but will support plans to go away if he concludes it is the best preparation for the World Cup.
While the destination has yet to be decided the Middle East is a possibility given the world-class training facilities on offer in hot conditions and the smaller time difference compared with travelling to the US. FA sources said the final decision would be made at the end of England’s qualifying campaign.
