Dons have 'five or six' friendlies planned ahead of new campaign

Russell Martin says he has lined up 'five or six really good' pre-season matches to prepare his side for the forthcoming campaign.

Having not kicked a competitive ball since March, Dons returned to training last week with strict safety protocols to avoid potential contact with COVID-19.

But in order to fully prepare for the 2020/21 season, set to kick-off in early September, Dons have arranged several games, but the dates and opponents have not yet been made public and are set to be played without fans in attendance.

"They're all planned and all adhering to the protocols," said Martin. "We've got five or six really good games lined up for the guys. We've planned what minutes each of the guys can get as well. I'm really looking forward to it, we've got a lot of work to do before then and a couple of weeks until we play any games.

"The games will come thick and fast, but it's important to get some quality opposition in after such a long period off, so we're likely to play a game more than we usually would, but that's just because we have had no game time whatsoever.

"They have to pace themselves, and every game has to serve its purpose in terms of physical and tactical preparation. They will all be different, what the games require, and we have to make sure we manage expectations. Nothing replicates match minutes, and once it comes, we'll be back into the swing of it and we'll be ready for the start of the season."