England World Cup opener pitch AND changing room in Manaus not ready with two days to go

Chaos surrounds England’s opening game of the World Cup with fears about the state of the pitch and the dressing rooms here in Manaus.

Just 12 hours before the clash with Italy, workers appeared to be spraying the suspect pitch at the Arena Da Amazonia with a special green substance to try to make it look better.

They also face a battle against time to get the stadium completely ready, with the dressing rooms and corporate areas are still not finished.

England’s changing room is not as ready as the one due to be used by Italy - even the baths looked dirty - and only the medical rooms look finished.

There are also piles of rubble outside the ground - broken fences look a worry, too.

But England’s biggest concern, though, will be the pitch - it still looks dry and parched at one end.


The Three Lions are due to train on it on Friday night but used the hotel gym for a light session after arrival on Thursday.

Brazil 2014 officials are working around the clock to prepare the stadium, and FIFA insisted the pitch would be ready after months of preparation.

A spokesman for the world game's governing body said: “The pitch in Manaus has been undergoing treatment in preparation for the FIFA World Cup.

"Over the last three months, mitigation procedures have been put in place and there continues to be, significant improvement.

“Pitch experts from FIFA and the LOC are satisfied that the pitch will be ready for training and the matches, and have been based in Manaus to ensure that all proper procedures are in place.”