United ramping it up as pre-season looms

AFTER a well-deserved summer break, Eddie Howe's Champions League-qualifying heroes will be back on Tyneside next week for the start of pre-season preparations at the club's Benton base.

- By AARON STOKES

The likes of Tino Livramento, William Osula and any other stars recently on international duty will be granted additional leave, while available senior stars will be put through their paces in front of Howe, head of performance Dan Hodges and performance director James Bunce. Individual-specific work is expected to take precedence before the entire group is back together.

Tests will be undertaken to assess the physical fitness of the returning stars, who were given carefully crafted training plans to follow during their summer holidays.

From a coaching perspective, Howe and his staff are expected to more or less stick to the five-week training plans seen in previous summers after seeing successful off-season results in the previous two years.

Focus behind the scenes will be placed on ensuring early injuries aren’t picked up, with the likes of Sven Botman to be gently eased into the rough and tumble of training.

Joelinton is set to return after a knee problem, while Lewis Hall is back on the grass but is expected back in full training towards the back end of pre-season.