Leicester & Villa Participate In Joint Training Exercise
- Leicester City and Aston Villa participated in two 11 vs. 11 training exercises on Wednesday
- Sessions were hosted at both Villa Park and King Power Stadium throughout the day
- This is the latest stage of the Club’s considered preparations for the return of top-flight action later this month
- City will face Nigel Pearson’s Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday 20 June (12:30pm kick-off)
The Foxes will return to Premier League action with a trip to Watford on Saturday 20 June (12:30pm kick-off), while the Villans host Sheffield United in Birmingham three days earlier.
Like all 19 of City’s top-flight counterparts, Brendan Rodgers’ men are closely adhering to the Premier League’s Return to Training Protocol in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the four-month suspension of professional football in England, Leicester’s medical and sports science teams initially provided players with dedicated fitness regimes to follow remotely.
This allowed first team stars to maintain a base level of fitness while following stay-at-home guidelines ahead of their return to training – under stringent safety protocols – in the middle of May.
After originally engaging in non-contact training, Premier League sides have since collectively reached an advanced stage of their phased efforts to be ready for the return of competitive action.
Now, the Foxes and their top-flight rivals are engaging in contact training sessions, alongside regular on-site testing for COVID-19, under the watchful eyes of Rodgers and his backroom team.
The latest phase of the Club’s strategy has included the introduction of 11 vs. 11 training exercises staged in stadia, starting with an inter-squad fixture at King Power Stadium on Saturday.
On Wednesday, meanwhile, Rodgers oversaw another two similar exercises alongside Villa manager Dean Smith, held at both Villa Park and King Power Stadium throughout the day.
The ambition of this latest stage is to assist the players’ acclimatisation to playing competitively behind closed doors, while also elevating their fitness levels to the required standard.
At midday on Wednesday, one group of Foxes stars participated at Villa Park, while another benefitted from a comparable session later in the evening back on Filbert Way.
It means Leicester’s players are now increasingly more accustomed to the matchday environment – in largely empty arenas – which awaits them upon the Premier League’s resumption.
With over a week to go until City’s 30th fixture of a promising 2019/20 campaign to date, work will now continue in earnest at Belvoir Drive to ensure Rodgers’ men are prepared in all areas.
All times BST.