Aston Villa will welcome their squad of players back next Monday, as the club begins its preparations for the 2015-16 season, which officially begins on August 8th.
A fresh start
The last six weeks will have given Villa's players and coaching staff a time for reflection, after the dramatic end to last season.
The team's form took a huge turn for the better after Tim Sherwood replaced Paul Lambert as manager, as the side went on an impressive run to avoid relegation from the Premier League, eventually finishing 17th.
Not just that, Sherwood also led Villa to the FA Cup final, beating the likes of Liverpool and West Brom on their way to the final. They were eventually disappointed though, crashing to a 4-0 defeat against Arsenal.
Pre-season schedule
Villa will fly to Portugal for warm weather training camp next Thursday, once the players have conducted their traditional fitness tests upon returning.
Whilst the trip south will be more of a fitness test, as Villa's squad look to bring themselves up to levels of stamina required for Premier League football, they will also play two friendly matches.
Fellow English side Fulham will be their first opponents, with that game set to be played on July 11th, before Villa face Portugese side Sporting Braga six days later.
Upon returning from Portugal, Villa will complete their pre-season games with a flurry of home matches.
Swindon, Walsall, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest represent the remainder of their opponents, before the sides Premier League campaign begins with a trip to newly promoted AFC Bournemouth on August 8th. To see a full guide of Villa's fixtures, click here.
New faces, possible departures?
Villa will welcome new signing Micah Richards to the squad on Monday, after he completed a free transfer from Manchester City last week.
There have also been changes in the backroom staff recently, with Sherwood employing former Chelsea and Manchester United player Ray Wilkins as his new assistant manager.
Who exactly Wilkins will be coaching remains to be seen, with a huge amount of transfer rumours currently surrounding Villa Park.
The Christian Benteke saga rumbles on, with Liverpool and Tottenham no closer to reaching an agreement for his transfer, whilst he remains no closer to signing a new contract.
In terms of incomings, Villa were knocked back in their pursuit of further bolstering their defence after Ajax turned down a bid for Nicolai Boilesen, whilst the club have today been linked with a move for Lille midfielder Idrissa Gueye.