Gareth Southgate wants England to stand strong against Panama

The Panamanian team received much criticism following their intensely physical display against Belgium on Monday, in which they earned 5 yellow cards.

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez voiced his concern for his star player Eden Hazard's wellbeing after being fouled multiple times in the game, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said that their opponents had given his team-mates 'unnecessary kicks' during the game.

The Panama team saw nothing wring with their physically tough approach to the game, with their captain stating that in their first ever World Cup match, they had to "mark their territory".

England and their staff believe that their opposition will employ similar tactics in the game on Sunday, and Southgate wanted to stress to his players that they have no reason to be intimidated in the game.

Speaking about the preparation for the fixture, Man City centre-half John Stones said:

"We’re going to stick to our game plan. We’re going to cause them as many threats as we can using our own styles of play."

The game will be played in Nizhny Novgorod at the hottest time of the day, meaning that temperatures could reach 32 degrees on the pitch. This could cause the English players issues, as they elected a training base near Saint Petersburg where the temperature is a mere 18 degrees.

While the climate and physical test of the game could prove difficult, Southgate and co. believe that the superior technicality of the England players will shine through in the game.