Here is a new thing for England to worry about: Side effects from malaria pills

It's never too early to come up with excuses for why England might struggle at the World Cup. Today, it's malaria pills. Is it time to panic? 

On Tuesday, the team took a course of drugs to prevent the disease. Side effects can include the usual delights: One in ten people who take Malarone can end up with diarrhoea, vomiting, cramps, and more. Yes, probably not very fun as the team prepares to face Italy on June 14. But as manager Roy Hodgson, Voice of Reason, points out, maybe for the best?

"If the doctors are telling me that, when we go to Manaus, the players must take malaria tablets, whether it has side effects or not, what do I do?" he said, via The Guardian. "I can’t turn around and say: ‘We will not take malaria tablets’ because the bottom line is it’s better to have stomach cramps or whatever it is for one player in 10 than have someone contract malaria, because that would be unthinkable.”

According to the Daily Mail, one in 10,000 Malarone users can end up hallucinating. Place your bets now.