Cobblers make adjustments to cope with the heat as EFL introduce water breaks

Cobblers have brought forward training times and will make further adjustments if necessary due to the four-day ‘extreme heatwave’ currently hitting the country.

Temperatures are forecast to reach at least 33 degrees for four successive days from Thursday through to Sunday, including on Saturday when Hartlepool United are the visitors to Sixfields for a League Two fixture. The EFL have already announced that mandatory drinks breaks will be enforced during both halves.

"We have done certain things in terms of bringing training a lot further forward,” said manager Jon Brady. “We have trained very early in the morning to help cope with the heat.

"Coming from Australia, we used to play in this regularly! But the tempo of the game is now a lot higher and I totally get it. They are implementing water breaks at the weekend and rightly so. You obviously want a good tempo to the game but you don’t want any players put at risk on both sides.

"Subs have already been key for us this season and I feel they will be important again on Saturday after about 60 or 65 minutes, especially in that heat.”

Looking after the ball instead of chasing it will also be important in those conditions. “I think you are right to say that,” Brady added. “In this country we go through a lot of adverse conditions but I’m not sure many players would have played in this heat for a while.

"You have to adapt to it and do your best and we will be doing all we can to get three points.”