The Tottenham Hotspur pre-season is now well and truly underway after a whole swathe of the squad returned to the training ground to begin their preparations for the coming campaign.
Hotspur Way was a buzz of activity on Monday as a large group of first-team players returned to begin their work under Antonio Conte and his fitness coaches, including the experienced former Juventus coach Gian Piero Ventrone. These players only get a week at the Enfield-based training complex before the team flies out on Saturday to Korea for their first summer friendlies.
Spurs will take on Team K League - a selection of the best players from Korea's professional league - in Seoul on July 13 before facing Sevilla at the Suwon World Cup Stadium on July 16. They then travel to play Rangers in Glasgow on July 23 and another trip abroad arrives with the match against Jose Mourinho's Roma in Israel on July 30 before the Premier League season begins on August 6 with the visit of Southampton.
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Here are five things we spotted as the Tottenham players got back to work at Hotspur Way on Monday with fitness and sports science tests indoor and outside.
The new boys
There were four new faces at Hotspur Way, although one actually started work last week and another signed a year ago.
Ivan Perisic arrived at the training ground on Friday to start a little bit early following his calf injury suffered in his final appearance for Inter in May and the 33-year-old was in front of the camera on Monday as he continued to work on his fitness.
Fellow summer signing Yves Bissouma got to work on Monday morning after returning with the group of players who ended their international duties a little bit earlier than the rest last month and new goalkeeper Fraser Forster was also making himself known to the staff as he walked through the doors of the club for pre-season training.
Pape Matar Sarr finally got to pull on Spurs training wear a year after his move and loan back to Metz last summer. The 19-year-old will be hoping to make an impression on the coaching staff in the weeks ahead.
Richarlison is expected to join in with the squad later this week after flying back to the UK following his holidays in Brazil and first saying goodbye to those at his old club Everton.
Early returners
The bulk of the international players were expected back later in the week but some have returned early to ensure they are ready for the demands of Conte's gruelling pre-season.
Cristian Romero, Davinson Sanchez, Giovani Lo Celso, Bryan Gil, Sarr and Bissouma all returned with the non-internationals such as Eric Dier and midfielder Harvey White, despite having played for their country last month and young Republic of Ireland international Troy Parrott was also back involved in the pre-season work.
Sergio Reguilon also returned earlier than expected last week to get back to work at Hotspur Way on his fitness ahead of the coming season following his groin injury at the end of last season.
Those players linked with moves back in training
Occasionally players are given extended summer breaks if they are expected to seal moves away from the club, in order to allow them to fully focus on that, but that does not seem to have been the case with a number of returning faces.
Harry Winks has been linked with a move away from Tottenham, with Everton mostly recently having held talks about signing him, but he was back in training on Monday as was a smiling Lo Celso. The Argentine spent the second half of last season on loan at Villarreal and there are a number of clubs looking at the midfielder.
Another returning loan player back at Hotspur Way was Bryan Gil, who could be spotted laughing alongside Sanchez on the exercise bikes at one point.
Tanguy Ndombele, who has been tipped to move on after his return from loan at Lyon, was also back at the training ground and could be seen working away in the gym during the sports science tests in a group with Winks, Sarr and goalkeeper Brandon Austin.
Emerson Royal and Reguilon have also been linked with moves away from the club despite their desire to stay, with the Brazilian shown plenty of times alongside compatriot Lucas Moura.
Conte will make the decision over which players will not be required on the tour to Korea if they are expected to leave his squad this summer.
Injured players looking fresh
Conte will have been pleased to see those players with injuries before the summer all looking back and fit. Oliver Skipp and Japhet Tanganga both had surgery towards the end of last season for pelvic and knee injuries respectively. Both are now fully fit and returned to Hotspur Way last Monday to begin their work for the coming season to get an extra week in their legs.
Matt Doherty missed the end of the season after rupturing his medial collateral ligament in his knee and he also returned last Monday. A week later and he was spotted running outside with Winks as he prepares for his return to action as well as taking part in the various eye tests run by the medical staff inside Hotspur Way.
Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Bentancur were both withdrawn from international duty last month as precautionary measures with little niggles and they were back at the training ground and undertaking their tests on Monday.
Son to meet up
The remainder of the club's international players such as Harry Kane, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Hugo Lloris will return in stages over the course of this week with some arriving on Saturday in time for the evening flight to Korea.
One player who will not be heading back to Hotspur Way until midway through this month is Son Heung-min. Logistically it made no sense for the South Korea captain to fly back from his homeland only to fly straight back again with the squad so he will meet the team on their arrival in Seoul this weekend.
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