Sheffield United in Portugal: Blades players' battles aren't just on the grass in training camp

United have based themselves at the City of Football in Lisbon, the training base of the Portuguese FA a stone’s throw from the national stadium.

The Blades have been put through their paces with double sessions by Tom Little, the club’s new head of performance, in the searing Portuguese heat, with temperatures topping 35 degrees Celsius on Wednesday afternoon.

But there has been downtime for the players too, albeit with a retained competitive element. The players, in between intensive sessions, have taken part in quizzes and visited an escape rooms facility earlier in the week, in teams.

On Wednesday afternoon, players were allowed time off to play golf while others went to the local beach to recuperate.

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United’s preparations are gearing up towards tomorrow’s friendly against Casa Pia, which kicks off their pre-season campaign ahead of the season opener against Watford on August 1.

Blades fans will get their first sighting of the club’s new signings in a Blades shirt, with Tommy Doyle and Anel Ahmedhodžić being unveiled as Blades players during the Portuguese training camp.

United also remain keen on Tom Lawrence following his departure from Derby County, with Heckingbottom keen to fill the void created by the departures of David McGoldrick and Lys Mousset this summer. McGoldrick has since joined League One side Derby County.

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