With one of the biggest tournaments in world sport a month away and the national leagues drawing to an end, the 2010 World Cup is in most people's minds. Over the next week, we will find out the initial 30 man squads for our teams and if the likes of Jamie Carragher and Fabio Cannavaro will make it to South Africa.
With many of the matches being played at high altitude and the usual questions over players' fitness after a season of knocks and bruises, managers will need to assess their teams with scrutiny. Can Rooney make it, will Torres be fit in time? As with the Lions tours to South Africa, the stress and hard work of playing at high altitude will be on the players' minds, so prepartion will be key.
Many of Europe's top teams will be heading to the Alps over the next few weeks to acclimatise. England will train in the Austrian Alps, prior to the warm up game in Graz against Japan, meanwhile France will head to their usual haunt of Tignes. Making sure players can last 90 minutes in thinner air will be vital, especially with teams like Chile and South Africa already used to the conditions.