Tuchel urges parents to let kids stay up for England game

England manager Thomas Tuchel has urged parents to let their children stay up to watch England take on Mexico in the last 16 of the World Cup.

While England's win against DR Congo on Wednesday kicked off at 17:00 BST, the Mexico fixture gets under way at 01:00 BST on Monday.

It will be live on BBC TV, radio and online, but most kids are still waiting for the summer holidays to kick in, leaving parents with a real dilemma on a school night.

Asked for his message to parents, Tuchel said: "Write an excuse for school and let them watch.

"There's so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch.

"There will be a big match in four days, and we need the support of everyone, especially the children."

While parents face tough decisions, teachers are coming up with inventive ways to get round kids potentially missing school.

Steve Heal, headteacher at Malmesbury Primary School in Wiltshire, explained the school would be open from 07:00 BST to show the game in full on delay to their students.

"We'll give them a bit of breakfast, and we'll be done by nine o'clock in time to start school," he said.

"That way they're not going to miss a night's sleep and they're not going to miss a morning of school and we'll just ask their parents to not let them know what the result is."

Heal said should the game go to extra time, an exception might be made.

"We might not actually get started with our learning until nine thirty," he said. "As a one-off, I'll take the Thomas Tuchel route and write them a note making an excuse.

"It is the World Cup after all."

England's players will not have enough time to adapt to the challenges of playing at high altitude before they take on Mexico, says Tuchel.

Harry Kane's double against DR Congo booked England's trip to Mexico City's Azteca Stadium - which is about 2,200m (7,200ft) above sea level.

At that altitude, the Earth's atmospheric pressure is lower, making the air thinner and meaning less oxygen is taken into the bloodstream with each breath, which creates clear difficulties for athletes and is likely to be a major factor for England during the game.

Mexico, meanwhile, have played all four of their World Cup games at high altitude, with three matches at the Azteca Stadium and the other in Guadalajara - which is about 1,500m (5,000ft) above sea level - so their players are accustomed to the thinner air.

"The altitude will be a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it," said Tuchel.

"It just takes too much time. We have only three days in between these matches. It's physically just not possible to adapt to the altitude."

Research suggests athletes competing at high altitude should spend a week or two living at that level in order to allow their body to acclimatise and generate more red blood cells.

But England will only be arriving in Mexico City two days before the match.

"That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have," added Tuchel.

"More obstacles may come, but we are ready for that.

"This is just something with which we will have to deal. And I think we showed the attitude that we are ready for that."

England are looking to end their long wait to add to their World Cup win of 60 years ago and the pressure that goes with that hope can often weigh heavy.

However, Tuchel did not feel that played a part in his side's performance on Wednesday.

"I did not see any of that," he said.

"It would be so easy to give in and to accept that narrative. I didn't see any of that, and that is a very, very good sign."