Dundee are set to welcome back a number of familiar faces for the first day of pre-season.
Holidays are over for the Dark Blues as of Monday morning as the squad reports for training under new boss Gary Bowyer.
As well as a new man in charge, there are new surroundings for the players to get used to after the club moved into a new facility at the Gardyne Campus of D&A College.
Among them will be long-term injured trio Adam Legzdins, Lee Ashcroft and Cillian Sheridan.
How close they are to returning to full training will be assessed at the start of the week but the Dark Blues hope all three will be available when the season begins with the Premier Sports Cup clash with Hamilton on July 9.
Legzdins
Goalkeeper Adam Legzdins has been out of action since a February defeat to Ross County thanks to a knee injury.
It had been hoped the issue would settle down to allow the former Burnley and Birmingham man to return to first-team duties before the end of the season.
That didn’t materialise but the experienced goalie has been part of a senior group of players preparing their new home at Gardyne Campus for the return of the full squad.
He is set to meet a knee specialist this week and hopes to get the all clear after working through the close season to get fit for the new campaign.
Ashcroft
The big centre-back was a major blow for Dundee last season, not just once, but twice.
A serious hamstring tear in December left him out of action for months before he suffered a reoccurrence on his return in March.
The 28-year-old is expected to be a big player once more this season after winning the Player of the Year and Player’s Player of the Year trophies in their last Championship campaign.
However, it’s likely caution will be taken to avoid a fresh setback.
Sheridan
The Republic of Ireland striker has been out the longest, rupturing his Achilles tendon in an October win at St Mirren.
The most recent update came in April from then-boss Mark McGhee, saying: “Cillian is doing a lot of running and shorter, quicker running. He’s progressing really quite nicely now.”
After eight months out, his return will be managed carefully.
Who else is back?
Last season’s loanees will also return, including striker Alex Jakubiak.
The former Watford man spent the second half of last season on loan at Partick Thistle, Dundee’s opening day opponents this term.
He scored once in 14 appearances for the Jags and featured in both legs of the play-off defeat to Inverness.
Also back are youngsters Lyall Cameron and Sam Fisher after loan spells at Montrose and Forfar respectively.
Centre-back Fisher scored once in 14 appearances for the Loons while playmaker Cameron helped the Gable Endies reach the Championship play-offs.
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