DANNY Cowley is expecting Colchester United’s players to be fit and raring to go when they report back for pre-season.

The U’s first-team squad are currently enjoying an off-season break, where they adhering to their individual programmes.

Colchester’s players will then return for duty on July 1 in readiness for the League Two season and boss Cowley says he wants them ready.

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Cowley said: “They’re having a small break and off season programme which is bespoke to them, depending on their season and what they’ve just lived.

“We do a functional movement screen on them all, so we know exactly how they move and what they might be susceptible to.

“Everyone’s biomechanics are different and as a consequence, they’re all slightly more susceptible to certain injuries, rather than others.

“So we put some conditioning in place to try to stay on top of that and try to avoid the soft tissue injuries and then they have to work really, really hard, because gone are the days when you can use pre-season to get fit.

“They have to come back fit and sharpen their tools.”

Gazette: Danny Cowley

Colchester’s players will report for testing in the middle of June, when their summer fitness levels will be assessed by the club’s sports scientists.

“We just make sure that they’re back in and they’re doing their work,” added Cowley.

“If they are doing their work, then they get to enjoy the last two weeks of their work and carry on working independently.

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“If they haven’t done their work, then they’re in and working for the next two weeks!

“There’ll be a couple of younger ones that will be in regardless – it won’t be because they haven’t done their work!

“They're younger players and they need some specific individual work to help set them up to have success, for next season.”