Midfield trio Andre Dozzell, Tom Adeyemi and Emyr Huws have all recently spent time at Aspetar in Doha, Qatar, which describes itself as the “world's leading specialised orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital”, as they recover from the injuries which limited their involvement during 2017/18.
Dozzell missed all but the first 45 minutes of the season due to a torn cruciate knee ligament, while Adeyemi made only four starts and one sub appearance having joined the Blues last summer, a hamstring injury having ended his campaign.
"It was an amazing experience for me at Aspetar,” Adeyemi told the club site. "In terms of the facilities they have on offer, it is the best treatment centre I have ever been to anywhere in the world.
"""When I arrived, I was really struggling with my injury. The work I was able to do and the help I received was fantastic.
"""I’m now fully confident in my ability to make a full recovery from this injury. I have also been given tools that will help me sustain this progress long-term so I am really pleased with how it all went.”
Huws, who underwent a minor knee operation at the start of last month following more serious surgery earlier in December having suffered the injury at Middlesbrough, is coming to the end of his stint at Aspetar.
"I spoke to my two team-mates who have visited before and they spoke very highly of the place,” the Wales internationa, who made three starts and two sub appearances for Town last season, added.""
"The quality of staff is really good and the facilities are second to none.
"It’s very difficult to get everything under one roof in terms of services offered and I don’t know of any other facility that has that like Aspetar does.
"""My objective now is getting my knee strong and becoming fully fit to play as many games as I can next season.""
"I want to play good consistent football and help the team challenge for the play-offs and then I hope to play for the Wales national team again, when I’m back to full fitness.”
The trio will hope to be fit enough to impress the new Blues boss - who with Jack Ross appearing set to join Sunderland increasingly looks like being Shrewsbury’s Paul Hurst - when pre-season begins at the end of June.
The Black Cats, belatedly given permission to speak to the St Mirren boss yesterday afternoon having already agreed terms with the 41-year-old, are still to confirm the appointment with Ross reportedly due to return from his holiday in Greece before the weekend.
Elsewhere, former England skipper Frank Lampard is the favourite to be named the new manager of Derby County.
The 39-year-old was interviewed by Blues owner Marcus Evans twice but the two are understood to have been a long way apart on personal terms.