The Wembley pitch is in far from ideal condition for tonight's Premier League clash between Tottenham and Manchester City.
The groundstaff at the national stadium have been working tirelessly to get the playing surface in order after Sunday afternoon's NFL game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Parts of the pitch are lush and green, but there are large areas of worn brown turf, especially on each touchline, while the NFL logo is still visible in the centre circle.
Referee Kevin Friend and his fellow match officials walked around the pitch at around 6pm with a ball testing to see how it rolls.
A Wembley Stadium spokesperson told ESPN FC before the game: "We are doing everything we can to help accommodate Tottenham Hotspur's 2018-19 home fixtures whilst construction of their new stadium continues.
"Maintaining the high standard of Wembley Stadium's pitch has therefore been more challenging as a consequence. However, our excellent ground staff continue to work tirelessly to ensure the pitch is in the best possible condition for all Wembley Stadium events."
The Eagles beat the Jaguars in the last Wembley-hosted NFL international series game, less than 28 hours before tonight's game.
Tottenham was originally scheduled to host the champions at their new stadium on Sunday, but delays to the grand opening saw the game switched to the national stadium.
The middle of the Wembley turf was in a poor condition ahead of Sunday and worsened after a night of rain and bruising action.
This week, City star Kevin De Bruyne voiced his concerns over the pitch so soon after the NFL encounter, telling reporters of his previous experience of playing on an American football pitch.
"It's not nice, it's going to be difficult," he told reporters. "I'm not sure how it's going to be. We hope it will be OK and we can play like we normally do.
