Kenny Lunt says that it remains important that the players continue to keep themselves ticking over this summer because they do not want to be playing catch-up when pre-season starts at the end of the month.

The players are now coming in twice a week to work on their fitness, strength and conditioning ahead of the gruelling six weeks of pre-season and the friendlies.

Lunt, who himself played over 400 games for Crewe Alexandra during his own career says that is important that players are well prepared to avoid any niggling injures when the footballs come back out.

The club’s assistant manager told the club’s official website: “The players are back in twice a week, just to keep ticking over. I think that is important and they will do the fitness work to make sure they are ready when the footballs come back out and we start playing the pre-season games.

“If they don’t put that work in and give themselves a foundation then they won’t be getting much game time because they will have to be catching up the others.

“It is important to keep ticking over to make sure you avoid those niggling injuries which can set you back in pre-season.

“The last thing you want is to miss two or three weeks because of a niggling injury. They have to keep turning up at the training ground, put the work in in the gym and with a few runs and make sure they are in the best shape they possibly can be and be ready to start.”