England midfielder Jordan Henderson joked about his teammates needing Viagra ahead of their World Cup Round of 16 clash against Mexico in the Azteca Stadium.
Reports suggested Thomas Tuchel’s side would be permitted to use the drug to help combat the effects of altitude in Mexico City, which sits more than 7,000ft above sea level.
However, Tuchel insisted the rumour about his players using the medication was “not true”, while Henderson, when asked how England are coping with the environment, quipped: “Well, the Viagra helped, I think… I’m joking!”
Henderson, who has so far made one appearance as a substitute at this summer’s tournament, said that players are “very adaptable” and “just get on with things”.
He added: “We just come here to do our job, and that’s to be the best version of ourselves, to be together, to compete, to give everything for each other and the nation back home, to make them proud and to try to win a football game.
“Everything that we can’t influence, like kick-off times or altitude or stuff at the hotel, is not in our control, so we just have to find solutions, which we’re pretty good at.
“So for us it’s about full focus on our job ahead, no excuses.
“We’re ready to go and we want to come here and be the best version of ourselves tomorrow, and if we do that then we’ll have a good chance of winning.”
England hoping to exorcise demons of 1986
England’s trip to the Azteca Stadium will be their first for 40 years. The last time they took to the field in the iconic venue was in the World Cup quarter-final against Argentina in 1986 when two goals from Diego Maradona – one brilliant, the other the infamous ‘Hand of God – saw England eliminated from the tournament.
The issue of altitude and its impact on the body has dominated the headlines leading up to this game – the first meeting between England and a World Cup host nation since Italy in 1990.
Tuchel admitted that he has already felt the effects of being so high above sea level, but insisted his players would be ready for the challenge of inflicting on their hosts what would be just a third-ever competitive defeat at the Azteca.
