Capello warns of England burnout ahead of World Cup because of lack of winter break

Former England manager Fabio Capello has warned burnout could be the biggest problem for the Three Lions in Russia.

Capello led England to the 2010 tournament in South Africa, reaching the last 16 before going down 4-1 to a superior Germany side.

The Italian coach is impressed with the quality of Gareth Southgate's revamped squad but hinted the lack of a winter break in the Premier League, one of his bugbears when he held the post, could hamstring them at the competition.

Speaking to FIFA.com, he said: "For this World Cup, England have youngsters with great talent and knowledge.

"It is possible that these young men don't feel the pressure, so they might play without tension. A key problem, in my opinion, is that they come very physically tired to compete with teams, whose players are not so fatigued."

England's main goal threat, Harry Kane, may be less tired than many of his team-mates having sat out in recent weeks with injury and Capello is a fan of the Tottenham forward.

"Harry Kane is a great striker, who is important (for the team)," he said.

"He is the sort of player that every team would want to have. Above all, he has a good nose for goal. He doesn't wait for the ball. Instead, he moves constantly in attack to create danger. He is definitely a player to watch in Russia."