Preparations for the new season will begin in earnest on Tuesday when the Chester FC squad reports for duty.
While Jon McCarthy and Ian Sharps have been hard at work for several weeks negotiating contracts, talking to targets and organising friendlies, the first day of pre-season marks the traditional starting point.
There are 10 players returning from last season: Jon Worsnop; Ryan Astles; Johnny Hunt; Luke George; Sam Hughes; Tom Shaw; Jordan Chapell; Craig Mahon; James Alabi; and Kane Richards, along with Kieran Evans and Matty Waters, who have been promoted from the youth team.
Ex-Wrexham defender Blaine Hudson will be the sole new signing , although Chester are expected to announce the capture of a midfielder on Tuesday once the paperwork has been completed.
McCarthy will also be welcoming a number of potential additions to his squad including some in discussions regarding deals, several trialists and a handful of academy products hoping to earn themselves a senior contract.
Those not returning from the end of last season are Ben Heneghan, John Rooney and Ross Hannah, who moved to Motherwell, Barrow AFC and Wrexham respectively.
Ryan Higgins has not signed the new deal he was offered and is understood to have been invited to train with a Football League club while Tony Thompson and Craig Hobson, who joined Altrincham, have been released.
The squad's first couple of days back will be spent at the Lookers Vauxhall Stadium undergoing fitness testing, measurements, handing out the new training kit and setting out the goals for the season ahead.
LOOK: The Blues report back for pre-season training last summer
Training itself will start towards the end of the week with the players having the weekend off before a full week of training next week in preparation for the first pre-season game against Sandbach United on Saturday, July 9 .
This will be McCarthy's first pre-season as a manager following his appointment as the permanent successor to Steve Burr after steering the Blues to three wins from four games as caretaker at the end of the 2015/16 campaign.
