World Cup 2014: Roy Hodgson changes plans over WAGs visit to England set-up

The England manager wants the players to see their wives and girlfriends

Roy Hodgson has confirmed that Dr Steven Peters will be tasked with preparing the England side for the World Cup after being named their sports psychiatrist (Getty Images)

England boss Roy Hodgson has changed his plans over an official trip for players' wives, families and girlfriends to the World Cup warm-up camp in Miami at the start of June.

It had been planned that time would be set aside for the 'WAGs' - wives and girlfriends - after the first friendly against Ecuador on June 4.

However, it has now emerged the players will instead fly to Miami on Sunday June 1, a day later than originally planned, and that time will be given over to their families.

The Football Association's original plan had been to organise a visit for the families to Florida, but it is understood that will now not take place.

The timetable will now see England play Peru at Wembley on May 30, have the following day with their families and then join up again with the squad on June 1 to fly to Miami.

Hodgson, however, will not ban players from making their own arrangements for their families or partners to travel to Miami or after that to Brazil, but any time spent together then will have to fit in with training and match schedules, and any other England duties.

The whole issue of the WAGs has been controversial since the 2006 World Cup, when there was criticism that the high-profile antics of players' loved ones at the Baden Baden base was a distraction for the team.

Former England manager Fabio Capello went in the opposite direction for the 2010 tournament in South Africa and restricted the time that players could spend with their families to short windows of opportunity.

There will be two friendlies in Florida, the second against Honduras on June 7, before England fly to their World Cup base in Rio de Janeiro ahead of their first match of the tournament against Italy in Manaus on June 14.

PA