WORCESTER City player-manager Andy Preece is delighted with the fitness of his squad after they returned to pre-season training.

Preece has been putting the players through their paces ahead of the start of the new Nationwide North campaign next month and is happy with the response.

"I think it has gone really well," he said. "I'm really pleased with the fitness levels and no-one dropped out. Aside from Mark Danks there are no injuries."

Danks has been ruled out of the pre-season programme after breaking his fifth metatarsal before the squad met up.

The striker is expected to be out for a minimum of five weeks and is a major doubt for the start of the season.

Preece's only other concern is midfielder Tom Warner, who has had persistent nosebleeds and has seen a doctor in the hope of getting to the bottom of the problem. Preece said: "The thing is to get the lads as fit as possible.

"They are all at different levels. It's just about getting fitter and fitter throughout the pre-season and being ready to play the first game."

With Danks absent, Preece will play some part in the friendlies to help keep the rest of his strike-force -- Troy Wood, Adam Webster and Craig Wilding -- fresh for the first match with Barrow on August 12.

"We need to make sure we don't exhaust Webby, Troy and Craig," added Preece. "Things like that happen and you have to adjust to it."

City open their pre-season campaign with a friendly against Cheltenham Town at St George's Lane on Saturday (3pm).