City’s players could enjoy their family festivities to the full as the icy snap put paid to their Christmas game.

But now it is back to business as they prepare to shake off the cobwebs at Cheltenham tomorrow afternoon.

Weather permitting, it will be only the second outing in 35 days as the season remains in cold storage.

Boss Peter Taylor, though, has no fears of his side appearing undercooked when they step out at Whaddon Road.

City returned from their impromptu Christmas break for training this afternoon and itching to get going again after such prolonged inactivity.

Taylor said: “I’m sure the boys want to play. With them not having a Boxing Day game, they could have had a glass of alcohol with the family, which would have been nice.

“The players will get on with it. Not playing meant they will have had a better Christmas but they are training very well.

“And I’m sure some people in the camp will have smiling faces. People like Simon Ramsden and Michael Flynn won’t mind us not playing because it means they are games that they will hope to be involved in.

“With not being able to train outside, we’ve just had to concentrate on fitness.

“If it was only us stacking up games then it would have been a problem. But we can take a positive from the fact that everybody else is in the same boat – only Wycombe played on Boxing Day.”

City delivered one of their best performances of the season when the sides met at Valley Parade in October.

Despite falling behind early on, they bounced back with goals from David Syers, Lee Hendrie and James Hanson for a 3-1 win that was far more one-sided than the final scoreline suggested.

Taylor said: “We can take confidence from knowing we can beat them and we played very well that day. But I’m sure (Cheltenham boss) Mark Yates will be looking at that and telling his players ‘come on, we know what we’re up against now’.

“But I really do feel we are in a position from where we can kick on.

“We won our last game against Hereford, though we didn’t play anywhere near what we can. But winning games still gives you that lift.”

With his long-term casualties on the brink of returning to the fray, Taylor’s bright outlook is understandable. He could have two fresh centre halves to add to the squad straight away.

He said: “Shane Duff has had no reaction from training with us regularly again. We’ve been deliberately patient with him.

“Steve Williams is fine and if you can get him and Duff back in our selection, then it will make us stronger.”