Derby County Head Coach Paul Warne says pre-season training is 'going great' ahead of their first friendly fixture at local non-league side Matlock Town this weekend.
The Rams travel to the home of the Gladiators on Saturday (3pm kick-off) before jetting off to Spain for a week long training camp the following day.
Speaking to RamsTV prior to what is set to be a busy weekend, Warne gave an update following the first week back on the training pitch.
On pre-season so far...
It's good, it's going really good! We've signed some new players and they've settled in really well. We've still got some more to sign but the lads have been really good.
We've been implementing a lot more ball work in recent sessions. Most of the mornings are football-based and then the afternoon is pure running in different zones, as well as workouts in the gym.
The first full week is always brutal, it is difficult. I loved running as a player but I used to run on the first week and want an office job and do something else with my life by the end of it!
We want to push the lads so they are harder, fitter and more organised than last year, so it is difficult for a reason.
We have a reputation of our pre-seasons being really hard so I think in the close-season training the lads put a lot of work in. They've done really well and come back in really good shape.
On the four new signings to date...
They are good people and good players. They are at good ages and still have something they want to prove in their careers.
I've seen their arrival interviews and they are really pleased to be here and so they should, it's an amazing club with hopefully an amazing future.
On future additions...
We need some more cover along the back-line, a wing-back option and we definitely need more impetus up the top end of the pitch.
It's easy to sign players if you want to overspend but we have to make the right signings at the right cost for us. Sometimes we have to wait a little bit longer.
Ideally I'd have 22 players on the plane on Sunday and everything would be perfect, but it isn't always the case!
We're trying to get the right people that are going to be here for a long period of time and those players take a little bit longer, as it does for every club.
We're in a good position but the hardest thing in the world, as it is for every club, is goals and we need them more than anybody else.
On Matlock Town...
I just want the lads to enjoy playing a game of football, the fans to see the players, the fans to see the new lads and get through injury free with the cobwebs off.
They've trained in the morning and afternoon for five days in a row this week so I'm not expecting them to turn up fresh and all bouncy and come away with a big win, we could lose. It's not about the result. It's about getting the lads safely through a game, giving most 45 minutes and get them on the plane on Sunday to head to Spain fit and healthy ahead of a big week.