England delay trip to Mexico City over spying concerns but fans aren't convinced

England's preparations for their World Cup round-of-16 clash against Mexico have become a talking point after it emerged that they will delay their trip to Mexico City amid concerns over spying.

Following their 2-1 win over DR Congo on Wednesday, Thomas Tuchel and his England squad travelled back to their base in Kansas City.

It appears they made that decision, instead of taking a direct flight from Atlanta to Mexico, for a number of reasons, with one of those being to stop the opposition from spying on their training sessions.

A report from the Mail suggests Tuchel is 'adamant' that his plans will not be leaked ahead of the game, and that important preparations such as team shape can be held in the confines of their main base.

It is said the sessions in Kansas are guarded by police and security guards, while the risk of others spying on England is seen within the camp as being increased if they had travelled to Mexico early.

Of course, that comes with its disadvantages as it gives the England squad less time to acclimatise to the high altitude, something that has been mentioned by fans.

One commented on the story, saying: "Well they best not delay too long. The air in Mexico is thinner and needs acclimatising too before playing a match," and a second wrote: "What about the 2.200 above sea level? Will they need time to adjust?"

A third added: "Don’t worry about shape we have no shape. I’d be more concerned about altitude."

READ MORE: Fan exposes 'Fortress Azteca' theory ahead of England's World Cup clash against Mexico

The Estadio Azteca Stadium sits at more than 7,000 feet above sea level, which is one-and-a-half times higher than the summit of Ben Nevis, the United Kingdom's highest point.

Tuchel overlooks an England training session. Image credit: Getty

Tuchel, however, believes it is "impossible" to adapt to the altitude in such a short space of time.

"You play against Mexico in the Azteca, and there will be a lot, a lot, a lot of obstacles waiting for us," he said.

"Not to mention the altitude will be, of course, a big disadvantage, because we cannot physically adapt to it in four days. It's just impossible and more obstacles will maybe come."

England's preparations for World Cup round-of-16 game could be impacted by Mexico fans

Throughout this summer's World Cup, Mexico's supporters have been a 12th man for the team. In fact, their role has even extended to pre-match activities.

El Tri's fans have been disrupting the preparations of opposition players, to the point that the Ecuadorian Football Federation filed an official complaint for the behaviour of supporters who gathered outside their hotel and tried to keep them awake.

Now, Mexico fans are looking to repeat their traditional antics against England, according to The Mirror,

It is said they are planning to bring loudspeakers, cars, music, motorbikes and horns to create deafening noise at the hotel England are staying in and, while local police will be on hand at the hotel, they may struggle to contain the hostile scenes.