Captain, leader? Steven Gerrard will wear the armband for England

It will be fierce in Donetsk, no doubting that, even if the pitch will largely be in shade. The forecast is for temperatures rising to 86 degrees during the day and, even at 7pm local time when the match kicks off, the thermometer is predicted to hit 72 and hotter on the pitch. France are considered to have an advantage, being acclimatised with a base in Donetsk, yet if England had switched from their Krakow HQ it only means a  different set of questions would have been asked.

Hodgson’s inquisition centred on plane journeys and the fact France have been wearing ice vests to stay cool, the perception being a trick had been missed.

Had England been based in Donetsk, however, the last few days would have been dominated by a debate about the wisdom of training in such draining conditions. Why didn’t we just fly in and fly out, and leave France to swelter here, it would have been asked. Goldilocks syndrome again.

Yet, if this is going to be another campaign that melts before the eyes of the world, what is the point?

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