Scott Ruscoe believes his squad have jetted off to a training camp in Portugal in perfect condition after returning to pre-season training.

The New Saints will spend four days training in the Iberian heat before returning for their first friendly at park hall on June 20.

Ruscoe is delighted with how the first days have gone, and believes the trip will help his new signings – including latest additions Connor Roberts and Ben Cabango – bed in quickly.

“We’ll have four days in Portugal, with no games but just four days of hard training,” he said.

“We’ve planned and talked about it for a few years, to go away for pre-season, and this year we’ve managed to sort something out.

“We’ve got a few more to come in; we’ve agreed those deals. Connor will be joining us from Bangor City as a number two to Paul Harrison.

“Plus we’ve got a deal for another unnamed player, who’s tying up some loose ends with his club and hopefully arranging his release.

“We are about to sign Ben, a defender from Swansea City who plays for their under-18s, on-loan for the season. He’s coming to Portugal with us.

“We’re feeling positive. We have 22 in the squad now, plenty of depth in there with lots of competition for places. We haven’t gone out to get squad fillers – we’ve got lads who can go straight into the side.

“That’s where our planning has been, to recruit lads who can give us the depth in our squad.”

Ruscoe admitted he was delighted with how the first week back went, as his new-look squad begins to take shape following nine departures and more than half-a-dozen arrivals.

The hard work at Park Hall was finished with a game at the end of the week against the Jamie Vardy Academy, under the watchful eye of the Leicester City striker himself before he departs for World Cup duties with England in Russia.

Ruscoe was delighted to give his players minutes so soon into pre-season, albeit not all of his squad present.

“The first week back has been really good – we finished off with a game,” he added.

“A few of the lads got 60 minutes, some got 30 and a few got at least 45, and it was important they all got that.

“At the start of the week, we had the majority of the squad back with a couple of new signings missing. We were able to do extra gym work, some more on strength and it’s been an ideal first week.

“The new lads have settled in and going away this week, training hard and being together will help the squad gel as well and hopefully bond.”

n The New Saints will discover their opposition for the first qualifying round of the Champions League next week when the draw is made in Nyon in Switzerland.

With a change to the format, Saints will be joined in the first round by some big names, but are seeded and will avoid clubs such as Celtic, Malmo, Legia Warsaw and Red Star Belgrade.

They can potentially face Gibraltan side Lincoln Red Imps,w ho famously beat Brendan Rodgers''s Scottish champions – in his first competitive fixture – as they are set for the preliminary round, which is drawn today, and is a one-legged semi-final and final.

Saints face potential trips to Malta, Armenia, Macedonia, as well to both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The round will be played on July 10-11 and July 17-18.