Lee Johnson is confident Hibernian’s warm-weather training camp in Portugal will ensure they hit the ground running this weekend.
The Easter Road side host Clyde on Saturday as the competitive action gets under way in the Premier Sports Cup.
The capital outfit will have been back training for only three weeks come kick-off and have packed in a lot of work on and off the pitch under new manager Johnson.
But, after friendly wins over Hartlepool and Burton Albion during their week in the Algarve, Johnson insists he is happy with the progress being made ahead of their group stage opener.
The former Hearts and Kilmarnock midfielder, who is still targeting a central defender and attacker, said: “We need to be organised going into competitive games so early. We were challenged in the games we played, the boys stood up to it, and I honestly think they enjoyed it.
“They were tired at the end of the trip, but it’s about getting that balance and rejuvenating them, so we can hit the ground running.
“It’s a delicate balance because you want to go into the games fresh enough so you can perform.
“We had fans there, and when you have fans there you want to put on a show. I thought the lads did in the second game [Burton, a 4-2 win]; four goals scored, and that’s the impact we want on the performances. They were two tough games for different reasons but we’ve come through them.
“We needed to push the boys as well but didn’t want injuries. It’s almost like how far do you stretch an elastic band before it snaps and, touch-wood at the moment, the boys are in good shape.
“We’re bedding in our principles. It’s been nice that we won our two games because that creates a buy-in from the lads, especially when the lads perform well individually.
“Listen, Portugal was a really good week, but it’s the foundations for us, ready for when the season kicks off.”
