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Uefa president Michel Platini has warned the Football Association that the delay in naming a full-time successor to Lord Triesman could harm England’s 2018 World Cup bid.

The FA has still to appoint a permanent chairman to replace Triesman, who resigned in May after he was secretly recorded making allegations about rival bids.

Platini told the BBC: "If you do not have a president of a national association it's not good for the bid."

His comments came hours after Fifa inspectors praised England's 2018 team. Following a four-day visit, Fifa delegation leader Harold Mayne-Nicholls said a World Cup in England would be "a great experience with a long-lasting legacy".

But Platini's comments will cast a slight shadow over what has been seen as a highly successful visit.

Geoff Thompson, a member of the Fifa executive committee that will choose the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts in December, has replaced Triesman as head of the bid and Roger Burden is acting FA chairman, but the FA will not appoint a permanent successor to Triesman until after the World Cup vote.

It believes that would cause further instability but Platini thinks the lack of a permanent leader is a problem.

"I was sad because of what happened with Lord Triesman,” he said. “I cannot have any better relations because there is no president of the FA at the moment.

"I think it will be time to have a new president. If you do not have a president of a national association it's not good for the bid.

"Some people may say 'why vote for a country that has no president of its FA?' It would be nice to have a president as soon as possible."

However, Platini was positive about England's technical bid and added: "I am sure about the quality of the football, the infrastructure and the passion. England will have no problem hosting a World Cup.

"We have four very good bids [Spain/Portugal, Russia and Holland/Belgium, as well as England] in Europe and they can all accept to be perhaps one of the winners of the 2018 bid."

The Fifa delegation was complimentary about England’s transport, stadiums, security and passion for football, raising only one question mark over accommodation.

Mayne-Nicholls said: "A World Cup in England in 2018 or 2022 would be a great experience with a long-lasting legacy.

"[Deputy Prime Minister] Nick Clegg said that football is the glue that brings the country together. This commitment and passion we have seen in all the cities we have visited.

"The quality of the pitches was absolutely world class, so was the line-up of celebrities we had the chance to meet."

But while he was largely positive about the infrastructure England already has in place, Mayne-Nicholls suggested there was still room for improvement in the area of accommodation.

"Concerning public transportation and event facilities, there seems to be no problem in hosting an event of such scope," he continued.

"This also counts for safety and security matters. One thing Fifa are particularly focused on is accommodation as we need a very high number of quality rooms.

"This is why we ask all bidders for a certain number of contracted hotel rooms. We trust that you will be able to fulfil the necessary requirements."

England 2018 bid chief executive Andy Anson downplayed the issue over accommodation, describing it as a "technical formality", and promised to have organised the required 60,000 hotel rooms before the end of September deadline.

He said he was pleased with how the Fifa visit had gone, but stressed there was still plenty of hard work ahead.

"We've put a very strong case forward that we've got a very strong technical bid," added Anson. "We've got 98 days to get out and convince Fifa we really do deserve to bring the World Cup to England."