THEY'RE BACK AT COBHAM

It is a little over seven weeks since we lifted the FA Cup at Wembley, but today it was back to work for the players and staff as the work began again for the season ahead.
A pre-season at the top end of the Premier League takes a great deal of planning, so it was probably with some relief for the backroom staff that the lads returned without any hitches, Yossi Benayoun involved in that number for the first time after sealing his move from Liverpool at the end of last week.



Of course not everybody was present, those who represented their countries at the World Cup (11 in total) will be returning to Cobham in the coming weeks, but there were still plenty of first-team returns, including the full complement of goalkeepers - Petr Cech, Hilario and Ross Turnbull.
Michael Essien and John Mikel Obi were both back with the squad after periods out at the end of last season, and while they will be doing slightly different work from their team-mates, they will have a full involvement in training.

Jose Bosingwa meanwhile is not yet ready to join with the rest of the players as he continues his comeback from knee surgery, but it is hoped he will be ready for the start of the competitive season on August 8.
Today also saw appearances from some of the younger players who spent last season out on loan, Michael Mancienne, Jack Cork, Ryan Bertrand, Scott Sinclair and Franco Di Santo all back and eager to catch up on each other's summers, while Josh McEachran, still just 17, also joined the group.