A week from hell awaits Darlington’s players, says manager Alun Armstrong, as he bids to get them into shape with only a fortnight to go before the beginning of the season.

The National League North campaign kicks-off with the visit of AFC Telford United to Blackwell Meadows on August 14, but Armstrong feels his players are not fit for action due to the impact Covid has had on pre-season.

They had matches cancelled due to players and staff having to isolate, and Tuesday’s 5-1 defeat against League 2 Harrogate Town was only the second friendly most of the team have played.

They train today and play at home to Middlesbrough under-23s tomorrow (1pm).

Armstrong said: “Everyone is fitter than us at this moment in time, so that’s why we’re doing extra training sessions on Saturday and then we’ve got them in on Sunday.

“Probably the first time we’ve done that, where we’ve trained before the game and it’s just to get them fitter. We’re playing catch up.

“Boro, whether they’ll play two teams I don’t know, a lot of teams have done that to us and that kills you! Hopefully we can have a good run out this time.

“I want to make sure the lads are ready for that Telford game. Then we’ve got Sunderland on Wednesday, we’ll be training on the Tuesday and training on the Thursday so it will be a busy week for them. Then playing on the Saturday against Whitby Town and then back to normal.

“I said to the lads it will probably be a week from hell for them, but it’s needed.”

Harrogate cantered to victory on Tuesday, with Quakers’ lack of fitness a key factor, believes the boss.

He added: “It’s been a bit of a nightmare start because of the Covid situation, but the lads are working ever so hard. We should have been six or seven games in now and unfortunately we’re only two. It is what it is.

“You could see on Tuesday that the lads are way off fitness wise, fatigue was setting in. From the off I could see that they weren’t at it.

“Harrogate were miles ahead fitness wise, so that had a massive telling in the second half of the game, but the attitude of the lads has been top drawer in training.

“I’ve just had to say to them I want them to pick their bottom lip up after losing a game in pre-season against a really good side.

“It is what it is. We’re really fatigued at his moment in time and you’re meant to be in pre-season. You’re not meant to be nice and fresh and all I can ask the lads is to keep going, and that’s what we’ve said to them.”

Andrew Nelson could feature again. The striker, who had a successful loan spell with Darlington from Sunderland in 2018, is a free agent after leaving Torquay United, though he missed all last season due to injury.

Armstrong said: “I’m going to put a deal to Nella and see if we can get him sorted. Then it’s his decision after that.

"He’s exactly what we need, we need a little bit of pace, a bit of energy and he’s a great finisher. We’ve seen that with the kind of goals he’s scored, all kinds of goals so if we can get that sorted, great. But that will be a patient one. I am speaking to another centre forward, hopefully I can get him in at the weekend.

“I’m trying to add more bodies as well as we go. It’s getting to that crunch time. You don’t want to waste their (the fans) money, and that’s the biggest thing. I’ve got quite a bit of budget left to bring people in what I’m looking for and it’s got to be them right players.”