Latics' players will be facing a pre-season schedule of hard graft to make them fitter and stronger next season, according to physiotherapist Marc Czuczman.

The ex-Walsall man has devised a summer schedule for each member of the senior squad as Athletic look to cut out the succession of injuries which blighted the 2007/08 campaign.

Along with assistant Jon Guy, Czuczman is hard at work preparing for another season of football only weeks after the last League One campaign finished.

While many of the players are currently on holiday, those still struggling with injury problems are still at Boundary Park - and all have work to do over the summer.

Czuczman told Latics World: "The injured players will stay behind until they're fit, because if they don't come back fit for pre-season training it doesn't do myself, the manager or the team any favours.

"They all have basic exercises to do over the summer aimed at our philosophy of injury prevention.  They're little things based around knees, hamstrings and ankles that the players can do in their own time.

"By doing these exercises the lads can build themselves up ready for when they return for pre-season training."

Czuczman and Guy have brought a raft of new ideas to the club, and have already reported an encouraging response.

Their approach centres around injury prevention, with summer and pre-season sessions geared towards making the players fitter, stronger and more resistant to pulls, tears and strains.

"Some of the young lads have been really interested in what we're saying and a number of players have volunteered to come in for extra sessions with me during the summer, which is fantastic," he said.

"We've also had a good response from the senior pros, who you perhaps wouldn't expect to take up new ideas having done the same thing for the last ten pre-seasons or more.

"I'm looking to get the lads in the gym away from the football side and start putting things into place to make them fit and strong next season.

"Our work is aimed at making them quicker in the air, quicker on the turn, stronger in the air and stronger holding players off.  Football isn't just about running for 90 minutes now; you have to be an athlete and stronger than the opposition."

The first team squad are due back at Boundary Park in early July, when their pre-season schedule will begin ahead of the first friendly at Grimsby on July 19.

Czuczman added: "We'll be doing a few sessions in the afternoons in addition to normal training and hopefully the lads will see the benefit of that.

"I've got on very well with the lads so far and we've had some good banter when it's appropriate.  They must realise there's hard work ahead but I want to get on with them.

"I want them to enjoy the work we've got planned for them.  I'll be doing it all, and if I can then professional athletes should be able to."