FCK in Austria for pre-season training

The FC Copenhagen players and staff are in Austria for their annual pre-season training camp.

The team will be put through their paces and face two friendly matches, against Slovenia’s NK Celje and FC Anzhi Makhachkala of Russia during their eight-day trip.

And Youssef Toutouh, who missed the latter half of last season through injury, spoke to FCK.dk about the camp.

- I'm really looking forward to training. I will build the last season and hopefully play some matches so I can be completely ready for the team. It is also good to get to know the new players. They have settled in well, have shown what they can do and why we have brought them to the club, Toutouh said.

The midfielder is finally back on the field after a knee injury ruled him out of the Superliga run-in and FCK’s DBU Cup final victory.

And he said of the return to training:

- It is indescribable. I have been waiting for a long time. I feel really good, can train fully and my form shows there is not much of the injury that affects me.

- I have not had a summer vacation. I've got a fitness programme, and I have been running in order to start properly with the other players.

Copenhagen will play Celje on Monday in their first game of the new season and manager Ståle Solbakken insists everyone in Austria will get a run-out.

- I expect that all of our match-fit players will be in action, but playing time will be slightly different. The plan is that some get 60 minutes, while others have 45 or 30 minutes, Ståle said.

Monday’s opponents are currently competing in the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round. Last Thursday they lost 1-0 to Slask Wroclaw at home and face a trip to Poland for the second leg next week.

- Celje will bring a strong lineup but, like us, they will probably switch players around because they have the return leg in Poland already on Thursday, Ståle added.