YORK CITY boss Russ Wilcox said there was "no better time" for his squad to take in a four-day retreat.

The Minstermen are camped at the Champneys Springs Health Resort, in Leicestershire, after reaching the midpoint of their League Two pre-season preparations.

Having come through tough warm up games against Championship outfits Middlesbrough, Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday, Wilcox has opted for a change of scenery before four games in eight days winds up their programme.

With five players out of action, including Michael Coulson, Emile Sinclair and Jake Hyde, who have yet to kick a ball, the City chief sees the trip as a chance to help them on the road to recovery, give a little rest to those in the squad who have featured prominently in the opening trio of matches and get some more fitness work into those yet to see regular action.

"We are together for four days, which is great," Wilcox said. "I think it is a terrific period for us to go there because we have got the injured lads there - at our disposal 24 hours a day - so we can get treatment and work into them.

"We can be giving them four, five and six sessions a day of different things. There are spinning classes, there is a massive swimming pool, there is a gymnasium there. Everything is on hand. The food is terrific.

"There are some great facilities down there and, individually, we can look at what the lads need now and how many minutes they have played on the pitch. We can get work into the lads who haven't played as much and then we come back to a really busy week of Harrogate, Darlington, Newcastle and then the last one at Halifax.

"The preparation has got to be spot on for that. It is those last few games where you are looking to show your hand a little bit."

Wilcox also stressed the importance of team bonding and added: "It's a fresh one for me because we have structured things differently this year. A lot of teams, if you notice, will go away early. We have structured it right in the middle of pre-season and, looking at the group now, the timing couldn't be any better.

"It gives the boys who have played a bit of game time the opportunity to rest up a touch.

"It's a great four days to do lots of different things but also to spend time together. That's important. The new lads have settled in straight away anyway, because they are entering a good group of people, but there is no better time to spend that little bit of time together."