Worried that the condition of the pitch at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium could add to England's woes, Jim White goes in search of an alternative venue for the match against Slovenia.

England will have to play their decisive World Cup clash against Slovenia on a pitch that is arguably in even worse condition than Wembley.

Large areas of turf were being relaid in the penalty area at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium last night, with neither England nor Slovenia allowed to train on it.

England had to delay travelling to Port Elizabeth on Tuesday because the poor state of the pitch inside the stadium meant they couldn't train on it ahead of today's match.

The wet weather conditions in Port Elizabeth are being blamed for the deteriorating state of the playing surface, but there have also been concerns as to how it has been prepared in the first place.

Experts believe, for example, that too much sand has been used which has made the top loose and the pitch feel heavy.

England manager Fabio Capello said: "I just looked at the pitch and it's not so good but that's not an excuse. At Wembley, we won always."

Steven Gerrard added: "It's got a few small problems but I've played on worse. It's the same for both sides. We can't use it as an excuse. We have to focus on the win."