Ricardo: Our First Goal Is Fitness

- Ricardo Pereira reacts to Leicester City’s pre-season friendly clash with Notts County
- The Foxes, who fielded 22 players, were beaten 2-1 at LCFC Training Ground
- Academy graduate Harvey Barnes opened the scoring in Seagrave

The Foxes got their summer schedule underway on Saturday afternoon, when 22 players featured in a 2-1 loss to Notts County at LCFC Training Ground.

Ricardo completed the first 45 minutes for City, captaining his side as Harvey Barnes netted the opener before Kairo Mitchell levelled matters ahead of the interval. Aden Baldwin went on to find a winning goal for the visitors.

Speaking to LCFC TV in Seagrave, Ricardo said: “It’s always different when you play a new opponent and put things in place. The first goal was the fitness level to go out, of course we want to do better, but it’s just a normal pre-season game.

“It’s different because you play against other systems, against teams that are not used to the way you play. When you play between us, it’s the same shapes and you know a little bit what they will do. It’s always difficult to deal with new things, new challenges, and it’s always different in training.”

Next week, the Foxes will continue their pre-season campaign in Évian-les-Bains, where a friendly clash with OH Leuven follows an intense training camp in the French Alps.

“It’s different, even with the good facilities that we have,” Ricardo said of the trip. “The whole time together for bonding, it’s important too at the start of the season, and to increase the level and intensity, and we’ll welcome the guys that are coming back.

“You feel like every day, every week, we're getting to our level. I just hope we keep going like this.”