Portsmouth announce details of warm-weather training camp abroad as key decision confirmed

John Mousinho’s Blues will next month head to Croatia as they begin in earnest their preparations for their return to the Championship.

The Blues fly out to the country’s Adriatic coast on Saturday, July 6, for seven days and will be based near the city of Pula, which is 165m from the capital Zagreb.

No pre-season friendly has been arranged for the duration of their stay, with Pompey preferring to concentrate on coaching and team bonding while they are away.

That means the Blues’ first pre-season outing will be played upon their return, with a trip to Gosport Borough on Tuesday, July 16, their maiden fixture of the summer.

Fans are still welcome to join Mousinho & Co in Croatia - something supporters have done in recent years during recent visits to Spain. An open training session will be laid on for those who make the trip, with members of the Fratton faithful intending to travel asked to email [email protected] with their full name and details of where they are staying.

Direct flights can be obtained to Pula from both Heathrow and Luton airports.

The Croatia trip comes at the end of the first week of pre-season training, which kicks off on Monday, July 1. Although, the Pompey squad will undergo tests late next week before starting their Championship preparations on the grass.

It will be followed by games against Gosport, Hawks (July 19), Bognor (July 20) and MK Dons (July 30), with a game against an unnamed League One opponent also pencilled in - most likely ahead of the MK Dons fixture.

At present, the Blues have signed one player ahead of their pre-season return, former Barnsley defender Jordan Williams.