England staff use cooling hoodies to beat World Cup heat

As the England players trained under the searing heat of the Kansas City sun on Saturday, manager Thomas Tuchel took a very different approach to keeping himself cool. In stark contrast to Declan Rice and the rest of the team, who were wearing vest tops, Tuchel was pictured wearing a cap and a hoodie.

It turns out that special sun protection hoodies are being used by the Three Lions to deal with the hot conditions at their training base at Swope Soccer Village, Missouri. The Football Association carried out extensive research in preparation for the tournament and the weather the team will face.

Research and preparation

Tuchel was part of a delegation that attended the Club World Cup held in the United States last summer as he planned how to lead England to World Cup glory. The FA's research indicated that at least a third of the games during the World Cup will be played in temperatures higher than 26°C.

To combat the heat, England players are also using high-tech palm-cooling devices in the USA. Some players are additionally using cooling vests.

Coaching staff also equipped

Tuchel, who was taking the players through their session with the hood of his sun protection top over his head, was not the only member of staff wearing the top. England assistants Anthony Barry, Nicolas Mayer and Justin Cochrane were also wearing the sun protection technology during their latest session as the coaches prepared the players for their next group match against Ghana on Tuesday (21:00 BST).

Descriptions of similar tops found online say they filter "harsh UV rays to protect your skin from the sun" and keep skin "cool and dry."

Training session and player update

Tuchel led the session in front of local baseball side the Kansas City Royals and their opponents the St Louis Cardinals, as the two sides had been in action on Friday night.

Bukayo Saka was the only player missing from the pitch as the Arsenal winger followed an individual programme indoors while managing an Achilles issue. Tuchel has said that Saka is unlikely to start until the final Group L game against Panama in New Jersey on Saturday, 27 June (22:00 BST).