England stalwart Gary Lineker has played down concerns about the state of the pitch at the Arena da Amazonia, where the Three Lions face Italy in their opening World Cup group game on Saturday night.
Images of a rough-looking surface have emerged just three days before the eagerly-anticipated showdown in Manaus, sparking fears that circumstances out of the players’ control could decide the match.
Roy Hodgson’s men are in a less-than-straightforward group alongside the Italians, Uruguay and Costa Rica, and they will have been less than pleased by the return to training of the Uruguayan’s talisman, Luis Suarez.
Talk of a poor pitch is even more troubling but Match of the Day presenter Lineker took to social media site Twitter to dismiss any such fears.
He said: “The pitch in Manaus may be poor, but England must believe it’s to their advantage.
“Give a player an excuse and he’ll use it. Love the pitch!”
The 53-year-old picked up 80 caps for the national side between 1984 and 1992, during a decorated career.
He found the back of the net on 48 occasions for England, averaging a better ratio than a goal every other game, and earned legendary status among supporters.