Hibernian manager Mixu Paatelainen is looking forward to the early start to his side's football season on Sunday and has warned his players to expect a tough test in the Intertoto Cup.
The Easter Road side became the first Bank of Scotland Premier League club to return to training almost two weeks ago following a break of barely a month.
They will also be the first to get back into action on the pitch when they face high-flying Swedish side Elfsborg in the Intertoto Cup second round at home.
It has meant Paatelainen tearing up the script for how he would normally prepared have his players for the start of the new league season in a month's time.
However, the Finn is adamant a swift return to competitive football is the reason why he decided the club should enter the last-ever Intertoto Cup.
He said: "Had we not had the Intertoto Cup we would have started training a little later, but after a couple of week's training we would have started playing pre-season friendlies.
"You try things in these games, you don't play for results, you play for the performance.
"But now, obviously, this is competitive and we will play for the result, it's as simple as that. We want to go through, there's no question about that.
"One of the reasons more teams haven't gone into the tournament is that you don't have your normal pre-season.
"You normally want to train for two or three weeks and then start to play games and gradually play more difficult matches and be ready when the season starts.
"This is the opposite, this is a very, very tough, competitive match against Elfsborg. But competitive football is why I wanted to go into the tournament."
Despite having their summer break curtailed and being worked hard on their early return, Paatelainen insists his squad are in high spirits as they approach their tie with a team currently sitting second in the Swedish top flight.
And, having taken over from John Collins midway through last season, the Hibs boss is trying to make the most of the extra time he is getting with his players.
He added: "Every day we are getting closer to the way I want the team to play. Every day we practise how we want to pass the ball and move, and attack and defend - it never stops.
"The mood is great, the attitude has been spot-on, and they came back very, very fit."
Hibs are without Moroccan pair Merouane Zemmama and Abdessalam Benjelloun for the encounter.
Zemmama is still sidelined after breaking his foot and Benjelloun is still to return to training due to international duty.
