Bilic unimpressed by Wembley surface

The Croatians trained at the £757million venue for just over an hour on Tuesday evening ahead of Wednesday's crucial Group E qualifier.

"The pitch here is not good, it is not the condition which Wembley used to have and is known for," the Croatia manager declared. "Three weeks ago there was an NFL game and the pitch it not good. It is not good for us, but it is definitely no good for England, because they like to pass the ball as well."

He added: "The stadium and this game tomorrow really deserves a better pitch. The top looks soft, but underneath it is hard, it is very slippery, like ice.

"We will see what happens tomorrow, but we were running well, although sometimes you have problems when you try to stop the ball, which my players do not usually have."

Only half of the pitch was used, with heat lamps in place to try to help battle against the continuing wet conditions. However, as the rain fell during the session, the top surface cut up in places.

The turf had taken a severe battering during last month's controversial NFL American Football match. Despite the best efforts of Wembley groundstaff, the signs of wear and tear were clear for all to see.

Wembley maintain all efforts have been made to ensure a decent playing surface.

A spokesman for Wembley Stadium said: "Our ground staff have been working round-the-clock on the pitch since the NFL match to ensure that the playing surface is in the best possible condition for England's game against Croatia on Wednesday."

Portsmouth midfielder Niko Kranjcar was one of those who trained and he quipped: "It is not the best pitch - but after Macedonia, it can only be better. It is still not the Wembley pitch that I think everyone is used to, only because of the American football match. But it is a good enough pitch to play good football."