Morgan: We’re In Great Shape
- Wes Morgan says the squad all returned to training in good shape
- The Foxes skipper admits preparations have been much different to a pre-season
- City took part in a joint training exercise with Aston Villa on Wednesday, following an inter-squad friendly at King Power Stadium
- Brendan Rodgers’ side travel to Watford on Saturday 20 June to begin the remainder of the campaign (12:30pm BST kick-off)
City’s players got their first taste of football behind closed doors with the inter-squad friendly held at King Power Stadium on Saturday, followed by two similar exercises against Aston Villa, on Wednesday.
It saw Brendan Rodgers’ side take on Dean Smith’s outfit in sessions held at Villa Park and on Filbert Way.
The joint training exercises served to enhance the players’ fitness levels and also assist them in becoming accustomed to playing in empty stadia, once the season gets back underway.
City skipper Morgan has welcomed the chance to play more competitive football as Leicester’s preparations step up and he believes the side can only benefit from these practice sessions.
“Just getting back to playing football has been really good and positive,” Morgan told LCFC TV.
“It’s been great, it’s a good feeling, everyone’s happy to be back and see everyone after a long period. And a return to the training ground, it’s a lot different from when we were last here.
“There’s obviously been procedures and protocols that have been brought in place to protect us and to make sure we’re all safe and everything’s done correctly in line with the Premier League guidance.”
City are continuing to adhere to the Premier League’s Return to Training Protocol in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the resumption of non-contact training, Premier League sides reached an advanced stage of their phased efforts to be ready for the return of competitive action.
The Foxes have since engaged in contact training sessions, alongside regular on-site testing for COVID-19, before the introduction of 11 vs. 11 training exercises staged in stadia.
“It’s very different but the boys have come back in, been positive, followed the rules and guidance and everything’s gone to plan,” the 36-year-old said.
“It’s completely different [to the summer break], when the off-season comes we usually know what time we’ll be back in for the pre-season, so you can prepare for this.
“Because of the pandemic we were a bit unsure when things would resume again, so we’ve kind of ticked over during the whole period and tried to get a rest at the same time so it’s been a bit of a balancing act."
During football’s four-month suspension in England, City’s medical and sports science teams provided players with dedicated fitness regimes to follow from home.
This allowed the squad to maintain a base level of fitness while following stay-at-home guidelines ahead of their return to training, which came in the middle of May, under stringent safety protocols.
Foxes Embark On Fourth Week Of Training
Leicester City were once again out on the training pitches at Belvoir Drive this week to prepare for next Saturday's clash at Watford.
“We’re just happy for everything to be back on track and going ahead,” Morgan added.
“The first two or three weeks have been practically a pre-season with proper fitness work to get us in the best shape possible, but credit to the boys, we’ve all came back in good shape and it wasn’t long before we had the balls and we were doing football work.
“We’ve took it one step at a time and finally we’ve got a date for the games now. I think we’re in the best place possible right now.”