England head coach Thomas Tuchel has played down concerns over the pitch condition at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, insisting the state of the playing surface will have no bearing on his team selection for Saturday's friendly against New Zealand (21:00 BST).

Reports in The Daily Mail described the grass at the stadium — home of NFL side Tampa Bay Buccaneers — as a 'plug and play' surface that had been laid only a week earlier. Several venues hosting World Cup matches have had to relay grass pitches over artificial surfaces, and England's travelling ground staff from the Football Association were said to be in contact with the venue regarding the condition of the turf.

"I saw a photo from a journalist which made me a little bit worried and concerned, but let's decide when we are there," Tuchel told reporters on Friday. "If there are any issues, we can always react to it."

Tuchel outlined his plan to use two complete squads across the two halves of the match, giving every player equal minutes on the pitch. England carry no injury concerns into the fixture.

Kane in top shape despite heat concerns

Tuchel was equally dismissive of any worries surrounding Harry Kane's ability to perform in the Florida heat and humidity. The England captain scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich this season — including three in the cup final — and Tuchel described the 32-year-old as being in "top shape."

"He was the leading player who set the intensity in training today, on a defensive training day," Tuchel said. "We don't have to be worried about him at all, even if it's hot and humid."

The England manager did acknowledge he might look to manage Kane's minutes across the two warm-up games — the other being against Costa Rica on 10 June — though he conceded that removing his captain and main goalscorer would be a difficult call if matches are competitive. Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney are available as striking alternatives.

Starting XI still up for grabs

Tuchel hinted that positions in his starting lineup for England's World Cup opener against Croatia on 17 June in Dallas, Texas, remain available. He suggested he has "14-15" players in his plans but will use the New Zealand and Costa Rica matches to finalise his first-choice team.

England trained on Friday with 27 players, though Arsenal trio Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Declan Rice, and Bukayo Saka were absent, having featured in the Champions League final on 30 May. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson joined the group after Crystal Palace's Conference League final victory, while Premier League players Josh King, Rio Ngumoha, Ethan Nwaneri, Alex Scott, and Jason Steele have been training with the squad to bolster numbers.

Tuchel also confirmed that squad members will be permitted to finalise transfer moves during the tournament camp, provided such business does not significantly disrupt their preparations — a development that could be relevant to Elliot Anderson if a deal between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City is agreed.

England are based in West Palm Beach, Florida, before moving to their tournament training base in Kansas City, Missouri. They open their Group L campaign against Croatia on 17 June, face Ghana on 23 June in Massachusetts, and then take on Panama on 27 June at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.