CITY players have been put on alert to begin stepping it up again for pre-season.

Clubs are still waiting for the nod from the EFL for when the next campaign is due to kick-off.

August 29 or September 12 have been mentioned as possible 2020/2021 start dates, although nothing has been confirmed.

That could mean a return to training in the near future – something that Stuart McCall’s squad have been primed for.

Fitness coach Ben Rome has contacted the 14 senior players currently under contract to make sure that they are building up the intensity of their work at home.

McCall said: “Ben has been in touch with the lads to let them know there is a chance that we could be back earlier than anticipated.

“So, start ramping things up a little bit in your strengthening and fitness work.

“They need to be prepared, although I like to think they are all keeping themselves in reasonable shape.

“But again, although mid-July has been mentioned as a possible starting date (for training), there is no guarantee that every club will be able to go back then.

“Every club is different. We would need to know the ins and outs with Woodhouse Grove school, how we could go to train, showering etc.

“There are still so many things to be sorted out.

“We don’t know if that means whether the players are initially going to be tested, is it going to be starting like the Premier League did with non-contact work in twos and threes and build up?

“Like everything, there are no definites and lot of discussions are still taking place.”

The training ground at Apperley Bridge has been out of action since March 14 after it was reported that one of the coaching staff was displaying symptoms of the coronavirus.

Players and staff were placed on furlough leave at the beginning of April when it was clear that football would remain suspended for some considerable time because of the pandemic.

The onus has been on the squad to keep themselves ticking over fitness-wise during the lockdown.

But McCall admits that it is not ideal when they have gone so long without kicking a ball competitively.

He added: “You can do all the fitness stuff in the world but you’ve got to try and do a little bit of ball work as well.

“With the rules being lifted in the last month, you can get out a little bit more and play with somebody else.

“It’s okay trying to keep a level of cardiovascular fitness with a bit of running, weights or whatever. But it’s the loss of muscle if you are not using it and hitting long passes and so on.

“Watching the games on TV is not the same without crowds but it whets your appetite to get back into it.

“We’ve only got a few staff who are not being furloughed but they are working round the clock with different things.

“It’s about being ready and getting us in that place that when we do get the green light, we can move quickly. I’m like that from my side of it with certain targets.”

City, who are believed to be closing in one a couple of signings, will tailor their recruitment to stick within the £1.5 million salary-cap limit that will be voted on by League Two clubs at the end of the month. They remain firmly against it.