Fitness levels on track as Derbyshire return to winter training

The players are currently doing gym work and a mixture of strength and weight training to fit their own personal profile.

The programme will also include sprints and running drills ahead of a return to the nets after Christmas.

“We have been pretty pleased really,” Lead Physiotherapist, Fran Clarkson said. “We have compared them to last November and their fitness levels.

“Across the board we have seen levels on a par or having improved. We will make sure the players are as prepared as possible.”

A number of key players were absent through injury during the previous campaign, with captain Billy Godleman, Wayne Madsen, Sam Conners, Alex Hughes, Mikey Cohen, Dustin Melton and Ben Aitchison all missing at least a month over the course of the season.

It is a pressure that Clarkson felt but knows is all part and parcel of working in professional sport.

“It is a very real pressure, but it’s something you anticipate when you go and work in professional sport,” she said.

“You can’t always deal in absolutes. From the moment an injury occurs, the player wants to know when they can get back out there and you can give them a good idea.

“One of the key things is to use your experience and knowledge to give the player the best available information you have, but you need to keep reassessing.

“There’s a lot of different factors to play into when a player is going to be ready.”