Uruguay v Costa Rica: Hordes of ants disrupt Uruguay's preparations

Unusual intrusion to Uruguay's training camp

Fernando Muslera of Uruguay talks to the press (Getty Images)

While England have been battling the tropical heat of Manaus as they prepare for their opening World Cup game, Uruguay have had to tackle an altogether different foe.

For all the high profile security surrounding all the teams, Uruguay were powerless to stop one type of invasion into their training camp - hordes of Brazilian ants.

Uruguay are based near Belo Horizonte and Fernando Muslera posted a photo on Twitter of his training camp bedsheets covered in the insects, although said they were quickly removed by staff there.

“It was funny more than anything else,” Muslera told the media before his team’s opening Group D match against Costa Rica on Saturday. “We found ants in the beds, myself and [reserve goalkeeper Rodrigo] Muñoz who’s sharing the room with me.

“But it was fine. They came straight away and changed the sheets and we slept well.”

Given the assortment of exotic and dangerous creatures in the vicinity of England's current Amazonian lodgings, Roy Hodgson and his team must be hoping nothing similar happens to them.