Frank Lampard believes the main challenge he has had ahead of Premier League's restart is not pushing his Chelsea players too hard.
The Blues have been stepping up training ahead of their first match back on June 21, when Lampard's side head to Aston Villa.
They then host current Premier League champions Manchester City the following Thursday in an intense restart to the 2019/20 campaign.
With their final nine Premier League games plus any remaining FA Cup matches all set to be crammed in before the beginning of August, it is going to be a very busy period for all the clubs.
And Lampard, whose Chelsea side have struggled with muscle injuries this season, is being cautious not to overdo the training ahead of football's return.
"The transition from non-contact to contact was good," Lampard told the Chelsea website.
"It had to happen. The players were excited to get in the big groups and train with contact. It has allowed us to work at a level that is much more relevant to match play.
"We are getting there. We have another two weeks to go. Normally we would have more time than that but we know what it is.
"The players have worked very hard in training when asked to, to try to bridge the gap a bit quicker than we normally would do. As coaching staff and medically we have to have the balance right to make sure we don’t push too much.
"There have been challenges along the way, but that’s what football is. The players are getting fitter and we hope come Aston Villa we will be ready to go, with the mindset and the physical side of it to take on the games which are going to come thick and fast."
