Town's players return for pre-season training today and face stringent fitness tests. As usual the Blues will spend time at Orwell Park and Holbrook Schools to add variety to the sessions.

Fitness coach Simon Thadani puts the players through their paces and keeps an eye on their fitness levels: "Most of our lads wear heart monitors during training and they have been to the Human Performance Unit, at Essex University in Colchester.

"There they undergo VO2max tests where they are connected to a computer while on a treadmill, and we also take blood samples.

"Every player has a thorough medical when they join and are constantly monitored.

"We have a very good procedure already and the physios are very thorough.

"The academy players now have electro-cardiograms and they have picked up minor heart defects on them and been able to take the correct action."

A number of players have returned early and Thadani says some are already in tip-top condition: "I have been quietly impressed and there have been some pleasant surprises. Some players are already absolutely flying and have already reached their targets and the pre-season has not even started."

Dean Bowditch, Darren Bent and Drissa Diallo are amongst the players returning late due to international duty earlier in the summer for the first two and his wedding in the case of the new signing.

Town's first pre-season game is on July 15th at Southend with the Scandinavia tour beginning with a game against Mjällby AIF on July 18th.

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