PARS boss James McPake has applauded his team for their efforts in the close season ahead of their first friendly fixture of the new season tomorrow (Friday).

Athletic make the short trip to East Fife exactly a week after the squad returned for pre-season training.

McPake said getting minutes under players' belts will be the important factor.

"Players will have had a long week so we plan to be sensible in terms of the minutes that they get and we will hopefully see a lot of the younger kids involved," he said.

"The plan is most players will get 45 minutes in the game. Last year they had a real test with the St Pauli game and a few players got 90 minutes, some over an hour. St Pauli showed their quality with going and getting promoted to the Bundesliga.

"That game was a real tough test and this will be as well. We will be fatigued. It is more about getting minutes up and seeing what we have. It is a chance to expose them to football minutes."

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The Dunfermline manager has been pleased with the first week of pre-season and the return of several key players who missed out on the latter part of last season through injury.

"It has been good," he said. "First and foremost, credit to the players who have come back in great condition. That is always the concern for a coach or a manager over pre season. You worry about them picking up an injury or they overindulge but they have been great.

"We are in the third pre season we have had with most of this group. A lot of them were here in our first season. They know how hard they get pushed in pre season and it is beneficial for them to come back in as good a condition as possible.

"That one (last season's campaign) was a pretty draining season whether that was with injuries or certain ones having to play so much. They have come back and been really good."

The squad have been working on a pre-season programme drawn up by sports scientist Andy O'Boyle who worked with McPake down south and went onto work at Manchester United, Liverpool and England under-21s.

"I knew Andy when I was at Coventry and have kept a close friendship with him. He was my sports scientist when I was a player and went onto have a better career," he explained. "He went to Liverpool and worked with the first team level with Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp and England under 21s.

"He is vastly experienced and a good person and someone I have leaned on since I have been a coach. I was injury plagued towards the end of my career and he is someone who was always there for advice. He developed this programme years ago but we do modify certain things."

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The pre-season return has had involvement for most of Dunfermline's injured parties from last season.

"Ewan Otoo, he is dipping in and out as is Chris Kane. They are on an individualised programme. We will have them ready for the cup starting. Aaron (Comrie) has done a lot more in terms of football sessions. Ones who had serious injuries, Kyle Benedictus, Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Matty Todd and Andy Tod, they are back in."