Crewe Alexandra will play two teams when our new season kicks off again on Tuesday evening against FC Maritsa. First team coach Steve Holland says he will use the forthcoming trip to Bulgaria to give his travelling squad the chance to impress ahead of the new season.

Those who could making the trip to the Sunny Beach resort include the first year professionals and possibly trialist Eddie Johnson.

Crewe head for the resort tomorrow for five days of intensive training and a friendly match against the club, who have helped organise the entire trip for us.

Steve told the club's official web site: "We are flying out to Bulgaria on Saturday and are playing FC Maritsa on the Tuesday night. We will use all the players in the match. We have discussed playing one team in the first half and another one in the second half.

"It will give us an ideal chance to do some intensive work in a different environment and it will give the new players and some of the younger ones a chance to settle into the squad and make themselves known.

"It is something we have been looking forward too and we can only thank the owner of FC Maritsa for making it possible. We were planning to take the players away this summer but nothing as extravagant as a trip to Bulgaria.

He added: "It has been well received by the players, especially with the ten new faces, who may not have been around the first team squad too often. I suppose there will be some team boding, but they are there to work hard and we will be doing up to three sessions a day."