Rs squad have ventured to Portugal to continue their pre-season preparations

Luke Freeman believes Queens Park Rangers will really benefit from their week-long training camp in Portugal when the new Sky Bet Championship season begins on August 4.

The Rs squad jetted out to the Iberian Peninsula on Wednesday to continue their pre-season preparations after reporting back for duty at their training ground in Harlington on Monday.

As they were last year, the west Londoners will be based at the Cascade Wellness & Lifestyle Resort in Lagos on the Algarve during their time in Portugal.

And midfielder Freeman believes that, just like it did last term, the training camp will turn out to be a huge plus for the Loftus Road outfit in the long run.

“There will be a bit of team-bonding as well as training, like we had last year,” the 26-year-old told the club website.

“The facilities there are good, which is vital at this time of the season.

“It will be tough, but it’s what you need. It’s all helping us get geared up and ready for our first game of the season.”

Freeman and his QPR colleagues, minus Massimo Luongo who was at the World Cup in Russia with Australia, reported back for duty on Monday in the searing heat.

The first few days of pre-season are always difficult as players take time to get back into the swing of things, but the soaring temperatures this week are sure to have made it that little bit tougher.

Under the watchful eye of new Rs boss Steve McClaren and his backroom staff, the QPR squad were put through the bleep test on the first day of pre-season training.

And though he was glad to be back in training, Freeman admits the great weather has made the return that little bit tougher this season.

“It’s good to be back, but not in this heat — it’s been very hard!” added the former Stevenage man with a smile.

“It’s all for a good cause and it will help us in the long run. Believe it or not, it’s been tough to acclimatise to this weather, but so far it’s been good.

“No matter how many pre-season campaigns you do, they’re always hard, especially the bleep test as it’s until you max yourself out. There’s no actual end which is always quite hard mentally, but in the long run it’s very beneficial.”

“Pre-season has been very organised. It’s still early days, but it seems to be going good. The lads just have to keep working hard and get themselves ready for August 4.”