World Cup 2014 Video: England train before flight to Manaus to face Italy
VIDEO: The Independent's chief football correspondent Sam Wallace watches the England team train ahead of their Thursday flight to Manaus.
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Your support makes all the difference.After yesterday's closed training session, Roy Hodgson's men once more faced the intense glare of both the Brazilian sun and the British media as their trained at their picturesque Urca military base in Rio de Janeiro.
The Independent's Sam Wallace comments on the latest injury concerns and team selection news before the England team fly off to the jungle city of Manaus where they face the 2006 World Cup winners Italy on Saturday.
Hodgson's men trained as pictures emerged from Manaus raising concerns about the state of the pitch with just three days to go before the big game.
Journalist Tim Rich described the pitch as "thin and scarred by yellow lines". He also noted that work on building the car parks and laying all the cabling in the 42,000 capacity Arena Amazonia was expected to continue until match day.
England are expected to send a member of their backroom staff to inspect the pitch when they land in Manaus on Thursday.
Wallace noted that Roy Hodgson is considering playing Raheem Sterling as his No 10 playmaker, having deployed the teenager in that position for England’s entire behind-closed-doors training session on Tuesday.
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