England told: Beware heat

England's players have been warned they will lose up to half a stone in weight during matches at the World Cup.

Sven-Goran Eriksson's medical staff are so concerned by the heat and humidity in Japan and Korea they have been weighing all the players before and after their relaxed training sessions in Dubai.

In his exclusive Standard Sport column Gareth Southgate, the first England player to speak publicly since they arrived at their luxury camp, reveals that even a gentle jog at their training base results in a minimum loss of 2lbs.

Earlier this week we told how the England coach was worried by in-depth medical tests that showed a number of players were "heavily fatigued" after the Premiership season and were put on special diets to boost their energy levels. Southgate said: "We've been advised we could lose upwards of 5lbs during a 90-minute match. In Japan the temperature is not as high as Dubai but there is more humidity. Sven has advised the squad to be sensible in the heat and yesterday we worked pretty hard."

Southgate admits that many of the squad were unaware Kieron Dyer was flying out to join them and they were amused to see pictures in the English newspapers of some players out late at a nightclub on Wednesday.

The players all watched the Champions League Final together and marvelled at Zinedine Zidane's spectacular goal that won the game. "But I didn't see anyone trying to emulate him in training later on," added Southgate.

There was good news for England today when it was confirmed that Dyer could be replaced in the squad up to the day before they begin their World Cup campaign against Sweden on 2 June.

Although squads have to be submitted to FIFA on the 21 May the game's governing body said today that, in the event of serious injury, the squad could be changed 24 hours before a team's first group match.

A FIFA spokesman told Standard Sport: "A player can be substituted 24 hours before his first game if he produces a medical certificate showing he is incapable of playing in the competition. It doesn't matter what kind of injury, as long as it is deemed serious by FIFA's medical committee. Dyer could be replaced, no problem."

Eriksson can now take a chance on the midfielder, who has a knee injury, by naming him in his squad on Tuesday, as he can be replaced by Trevor Sinclair as late as 1 June.

The Gareth Southgate column