Sky Blues boss Mark Robins provided an update on his side’s pre-season to date, as they prepare to take on Sevilla tomorrow evening.
City flew out to Alicante this past weekend, as they entered their second week of pre-season preparations ahead of the upcoming 2021/22 SkyBet Championship campaign.
The week in Spain is an important test for Robins and his side as they up their workload and intensity in the warm conditions and the Gaffer has been impressed with what he has seen so far.
“It’s very challenging and it’s very tiring, but that’s what you come out here for.” Robins said.
“I think the fact that we’ve been in the pandemic and people have worked in different ways, there haven’t been many, if any, double sessions at all, but you still as staff, and a small staff, have to work very hard and that’s something everyone is getting used to in terms of the intensity of the heat and workload and the demands that the job places on you as an individual, and the staff have been brilliant.
“As football staff we have to be able to adapt really quickly, because things change with minor injuries and scrapes that you have to take care of.
“Other than that, it’s always a worthwhile place to come because of the location and the facilities are second to none and they look after us really well.
“We’re in our second week, but we’ve had 14 days back with 12 days of solid work. It’s been a tough baptism for those who have just joined and there’s still some graft to do.”
The Sky Blues will take on a Sevilla side who finished 4th in La Liga last season, two points behind Barcelona, seven behind Real Madrid and nine behind eventual winners Atletico Madrid.
In recent years, Sevilla have become well associated with winning the Europa League, having taken home the trophy six times in the last 15 years.
Although the game looks set to be a mouthwatering opportunity for the Sky Blues, at this stage in pre-season, Robins is focused on fitness and a good work out.
“That was the reason we came out here. The Sevilla game enabled us to travel, and I think to turn down that sort of a game and the opportunity to play against a team, even at the stage of the season we’re both at, is was too good to turn down at any stage.
“There’s been bits and pieces that go on. We get messages come through that Real Madrid is a team we could’ve faced. But I think it is a brilliant game to play, in an area we know quite well.
“Ultimately, I’m looking for fitness. We have some issues around Covid and issues around players we’re still trying to bring in and we have a really young group with us.
“I’m looking for a good work out and the result really doesn’t matter, but the game we will try and play certainly matters and we will try and do what we normally do against a top class opposition who have a lot of experience playing in European Championships, let alone La Liga, with top players.”