England are taking significant precautions ahead of their World Cup last-16 clash with Mexico on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 01:00 BST on Monday morning.
Thomas Tuchel’s side travel to Mexico City on Friday, meaning the squad will spend two nights in the capital before the high-stakes encounter, which is live on BBC One and iPlayer.
The decision to arrive two days early represents a change in England’s usual scheduling, as they have typically flown into host cities the evening before a match.
The shift was driven in part by a Fifa requirement for teams to hold a part-open training session the day before each game, which England will now fulfil on Mexican soil.
Ecuador raised serious concerns after their squad were deliberately kept awake by Mexico supporters using loudspeakers, horns, and motorcycles outside their hotel in the lead-up to their round-of-32 fixture.
Ecuador stayed at the Westin Hotel in Mexico City, and England are understandably keen to keep their own accommodation location a closely guarded secret.
However, there is genuine concern among the England camp that their hotel will eventually be identified and leaked via social media, making further measures necessary.
Players and staff who have not brought their own sleeping aids will be offered natural sleep remedies and white noise audio machines to protect their rest ahead of the game.
Altitude poses a separate and arguably greater challenge, with Mexico City sitting at an average elevation of approximately 2,240 metres above sea level, significantly reducing the oxygen available to players.
Mexico have played all four of their World Cup games so far at altitude, with three fixtures at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and one in Guadalajara, which averages around 1,566 metres above sea level.
Ideally, athletes should spend one to two weeks at altitude to allow their bodies to generate more red blood cells and fully acclimatise to the conditions.
Tuchel has been candid about the challenge this poses, openly acknowledging that England will be operating at a physiological disadvantage from the first whistle.
“The altitude will be a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it,” said Tuchel, making no attempt to downplay the scale of the problem.
“And in four days, it’s just impossible. More obstacles may come, but we are ready for that,” the England manager added.
“My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude. That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have,” he continued, stressing the situation was fully anticipated before the tournament.
“It just takes too much time. We have only three days in between these matches. It’s physically just not possible to adapt to the altitude, which is quite high. We knew that before.”
Tuchel struck a defiant note despite the acknowledged obstacles, insisting the squad has demonstrated the right mentality to cope with whatever challenges the tie presents.
“This is just something with which we will have to deal with. And I think we showed the attitude that we are ready for that,” he said.
