London, Dec.12 (ANI): Coach Fabio Capello plans to take his England side on two altitude training camps in Austria before he heads to South Africa next summer.

According to The Mirror, the Three Lions chief wants his squad to pitch tents at their Rustenburg base fully nine days before their World Cup opener against the USA, after FIFA agreed to pay half of the cost of getting the training pitches up to standard.

Capello has spent the week since last Friday’s Finals draw in Cape Town fine-tuning his preparation plans aimed at getting his squad to South Africa in optimum shape.

With the Premier League season finishing on May 9 and the FA Cup Final six days later, Capello now wants to take the bulk of his 23-man squad, plus stand-by players, out to the base at Irdning, near Salzburg, on May 16.The only players not involved will be any playing in the following weekend’s Champions League Final in Madrid, and they will not be considered for the Wembley farewell friendly against Mexico on May 23 or 24.

After that game, England will head back to Austria, for more intensive altitude training, with the final match before they fly to Johannesburg coming on May 30 in Graz, against World Cup finalists Japan.

Capello and his players will then return to England to spend two days with their families before departing on their quest for glory on the evening of June 2, arriving the next morning and then travelling to 90 minute journey to the Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus.

Capello wants his players to get the maximum benefit from the altitude training he thinks can play a major role in the tournament and there is the possibility of another outing for the squad against a local side after arriving in South Africa. (ANI)