DAVID Flitcroft says there will be no let-up in Swindon Town’s preparations for the new season when they return from their training camp in Portugal at the end of this week.

Town are due to travel home on Sunday but are not currently scheduled to play another pre-season friendly until the following Saturday when they travel to Woking.

Swindon shared a 1-1 draw with Salisbury on Monday night, which would mean 12 days have passed between the Town squad seeing match minutes.

However, plans are in motion to fill out that schedule as Flitcroft is still lining up a possible friendly as part of their five-night trip to Portugal, while other matches are still being sought once they are back on English soil.

“We’ve got a good week planned when we get back. We’re working on a game with Derby County over there at their facilities, so that is one I’m looking forward to,” Flitcroft told the local media.

“It’s a 10-day block and we are trying to work on something at St George’s Park with a game there on the Wednesday.

“We have been working behind the scenes planning a fantastic games programme for the boys and it really cranks up in Portugal. Then, the week we come back, we have got some really significant games where we think will be our real test then.”

Having only taken over at the County Ground this summer, Flitcroft admits he is still getting to grips with the mental make-up of his squad.

However, the Town chief hopes that unrestricted access to his players while they are away will allow him to mould them into the group that meet his demands.

“It’s very much work, work, work,” said Flitcroft.

“We are behind the eight ball in terms of having this squad for six months and really bonding and really knowing what they’re about.

“I need to know what they can do on a football pitch. You’ll get that (bonding) naturally from being out in an environment 24/7 but I need to know how far I can push this group of players and what they are prepared to do for each other.

“That is something that you can only test people when you are in an enclosed environment for 24 hours. That is something that I am really looking forward to.”