Karl Robinson brought the players back‎ for fitness checks last week. He wanted to ensure that the squad do not have fitness issues when they report back for pre-season training next week.

The pre-season schedule will be a high intensity campaign. The Addicks will play five‎ warm-up games in five days – Crumlin United, Limerick, UCD, Welling and Greenwich Borough – at the beginning of the campaign.

Robinson believes the high intensity approach will help to eliminate the plethora of injuries that his team picked up last season.

Fitness levels will certainly be put to the test early on. Charlton could play as many as eight or nine games in September.

‎They have seven scheduled League One fixtures against Oldham, Southend, Wigan, Gillingham, Bury, Walsall and Fleetwood, though the Oldham game could be called off if the Addicks lose three or more players to international duty.

But if they progress to the third round of the Carabao Cup‎, that game would also be played in September.

The Checkatrade Trophy group stage starts in late August, and it is possible that the EFL may try to slot a round of matches in during the first week in September.

Though it will be an international week, League One and Two games will be played on 2 September.

There will be a more relaxed approach to the strength of team clubs must put out this season, so many are likely to field more of their fringe players in the Checkatrade Trophy.

September is likely to test both the fitness and depth of Robinson’s squad.