BURY go into their first home match of pre-season tonight against Blackburn Rovers with plenty of game time already in the tank after what manager David Flitcroft described as a taxing four games in as many days.

The Shakers left it late to begin their campaign after their planned opener at Warrington Town was cancelled due to concerns over the pitch.

But they made up for it last week with matches against Macclesfield, Manchester United Under-21s, Morecambe and Radcliffe Borough.

“We’ve had a taxing week, us and the youth team," he said, after rotating his squad for the four games to include a selection of first-teamers and youth players.

"We’ve all had a taxing week, but it was designed like that.

“I want to get through as many minutes as I can to mentally stimulate players and let them play in front of some fans and in real-stage atmospheres.

"We’ve played a few games behind closed doors, but you can never replicate the real thing."

Flitcroft gave the clearest indication yet as to the squad he will be taking into the first game of the season at Doncaster on Saturday week after the club released the squad numbers for 21 players.

While there were no surprises in there, none of the youth players who were handed pro deals at the end of last season, such as goalkeeper Jack Ruddy, defenders Matty Foulds and Marcus Poscha or striker Anthony Dudley, have been included in the list.

It is likely that the senior squad will figure more prominently against Blackburn tonight and at home to Preston on Saturday – Bury's final pre-season game.

A number of those are likely to be missing with injury, such as defender Keil O'Brien, midfielder Kelvin Etuhu and strikers Ryan Lowe and Danny Nardiello, but Flitcroft remains upbeat about his side's preparations ahead of the club's return to League One following last season's promotion.

“I’m delighted with the first three weeks and delighted with the summer programme, but there’s still so much to do," he said.

"People will say we’ve got two weeks to do it, but I say we’ve got a season to do it.

“This is the start of us fine-tuning for the whole season and beyond that.

"We’re still trying to improve, we’re still trying to make better and get better at what we do and that’s a continual progress.

“We want to overachieve this season, but for that all the staff are going to have to overachieve, the players are going to have to overachieve and that’s something I’m excited by."

Bury's squad list: 1. Christian Walton, 2. Joe Riley, 3. Chris Hussey, 4. Andrew Tutte, 5. Peter Clarke, 6. Kelvin Etuhu, 7. Hallam Hope, 8. Jacob Mellis, 9. Leon Clarke, 10. Danny Mayor, 11. Tom Pope, 12. Craig Jones, 14. Chris Sedgwick, 15. Ryan Lowe, 16. Keil O’Brien, 17. Danny Nardiello, 19. Tom Soares, 22. Danny Pugh, 26. Rob Lainton, 27. Nathan Cameron, 32. Danny Rose.