PANAJI

FC Goa will travel to Spain on Wednesday for pre-season ahead of the Indian Super League (ISL) football season, a statement from the western club said on Monday.

Having retained a number of key players from their last campaign, head coach Sergio Lobera has added plenty of new faces to the squad and will hope his team settles together during their trip to La Manga.

The 24-man squad, which will include four players from developmental team, will travel to Murcia to train and play five friendlies at the La Manga Club, which boasts of world-class facilities including eight natural grass international standard pitches, and a match pitch that can accommodate up to 800 spectators.

In addition, there is also a 5-a-side pitch, a high-performance sports centre and a fitness centre at the training facility.

“I think that all of the players that went to La Manga last year noticed that it was an ideal place to prepare for a new season,” said Lobera in a statement.

“It is a location that has been chosen by world-class teams like Manchester United, Chelsea and many national teams as well.”

Playing against quality opposition will help the squad gel together and improve their chemistry on the field.

Besides, utilising the wealth of facilities available there will certainly help the team in their quest for the ISL crown.

Goa have five potential friendlies lined up against the likes of FC Cartagena, UCAM Murcia CF and former La Liga side Real Murcia before returning to Goa on September 17.

“There are still two teams pending to confirm, however, the ones we are playing against are very strong teams that will be fighting to gain promotion,” quipped Lobera.