United's players have already been put to the test ahead of the official full return to training on Thursday this week.

Half the playing staff reported to the Academy on Monday and the other half on Tuesday to undergo physical testing before convening for the big meet-up tomorrow.

Kevin Blackwell said: "There is plenty of hard work ahead and we test the players at the end of the season, and again when they return in the summer.

"We always pride ourselves on the important hard work we do at this time as well as during the season, under the guidance of Dean Riddle.

"The weather is always red hot during pre-season but this is the most crucial time for building up a reservoir of basic fitness for the long campaign.

"If a player misses it he invariably cannot get fully up to speed during the season. When we went to Malta last year there were one or two that came with us who weren't as fit as we would have liked and they were found out by injury."