Shenhua raring for resumption as kickoff wait continues

Having being cooped up indoors for so long during these unprecedented times, running back onto the training pitch on home turf has come as a relief to the players of Shanghai Shenhua.

However, like most things these days, things are not quite like they were before.

"Compared with the usual training, there's disinfection before and after each session during the epidemic, including hand-washing and some other disinfection procedures," said goalkeeper Zeng Cheng.

"But we can still throw ourselves into the training very well without neglecting safety."

As well as adhering to strict virus-prevention procedures at their Kangqiao base in the Pudong area of Shanghai, players are also experiencing the odd sensation of not being fully match-fit in mid-April－a time of the year when the Chinese Super League season would be usually in full swing.

Like most soccer around the world, the CSL remains suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

And while there's no doubting the Shenhua players' enthusiasm levels for the eventual kickoff, the same can't be said of their fitness levels, which are not quite up to scratch after they observed a mandatory 14-day quarantine period upon their return from an Abu Dhabi winter training camp.

"We might need to adapt for a while since we have never experienced this before," said veteran defender Feng Xiaoting, who is on loan from Guangzhou Evergrande.

"There are advantages and disadvantages to this long preparation period.

"The preparation time might not have been long enough without the epidemic, because many new players just joined the team this year, including me. But, on the other hand, we have time to get in tune with each other and have more time to get familiar with the team."

The Shenhua squad resumed training at Kangqiao on April 13, signaling an end to an arduous preseason odyssey that included an extended period stranded overseas.

Back in early January, the team arrived in Haikou, Hainan province, to prepare for a Feb 5 Super Cup clash against CSL champion Guangzhou Evergrande. However, as the COVID-19 outbreak gripped the country, the traditional season curtain-raiser was canceled, leaving Shenhua to embark on warm-weather training stints in Dubai and then Abu Dhabi.

After three months of uncertainty and upheaval, head coach Choi Kang-hee admits the pandemic has been a big test of his players' mental fortitude, while physically they still require fine-tuning to reach peak condition.

"The epidemic has been a very difficult time for both fans and players," said the South Korean, whose team last term won the CFA Cup and finished seventh in the CSL.

"They had been in a very good condition but due to the quarantine now we might need to play internal games to bring them up to match-fitness."

Choi added that the team is now doing basic recovery training but will soon progress to strength conditioning.

Defender Feng admits he and his teammates are feeling the pace, but until a kick-off date for the new season is determined, all they can do is to prepare as best as possible.

"For the players, we will still follow our daily training under the coach's requirements," the 34-year-old added.

Shenhua's preparations have been complicated further by the absence of foreign stars Giovanni Moreno and Stephane M'bia. The Colombian and the Cameroonian are currently unable to return to China because of the temporary ban on foreign nationals entering the country due to the pandemic.

"Even our South Korean assistant coach team has not been able to get here, but we still have many local assistant coaches so it's not a problem now and we will have close communication with them," said Choi, who expects the CSL action to finally get underway in late June.

Despite their fitness concerns, that kick-off can't come quick enough for the players.

"It's not just me. All the players here are ready for upcoming games," said Feng.