(Reuters) - England appear set to play only one of their three remaining World Cup warm-up matches with the tournament ball because of the Football Association's long-term commitment to Nike, the Times reported on Tuesday. However, Gareth Southgate's England will use the Nike Ordem V ball in the friendly against Italy at Wembley on Tuesday as part of the FA's contract with their American apparel and ball supplier which runs until 2030. It will be the only time the team will get an opportunity to play with the World Cup ball prior to their opening group match against Tunisia in Volgograd on June 18. In order to mitigate any potential disadvantage, Southgate has given his players as much exposure as possible to the Adidas ball in training. Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea has already criticised the World Cup ball following last week's 1-1 draw against Germany, saying it was hard to grip because it was coated with protective plastic.

Source: The Star March 27, 2018 08:48 UTC