Pre-season tests provide perfect preparation, says Jamal Lowe

Jamal Lowe believes Swansea City’s pre-season tests will help fine-tune the squad in readiness for the start of the Championship campaign.

The Swans took in friendly games against Newport County last week, which were played behind closed doors, and preparations step up considerably this week – starting with a pre-season test against Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday.

Bristol Rovers, Forest Green Rovers and Premier League outfit Southampton provide the remaining opposition as the Swans gear up for the start of the 2021-22 season.

And Lowe, who scored 14 goals in his maiden season at the Liberty, believes the friendly matches will prove invaluable in terms of match sharpness.

“It’s great to get the games up and running - the best part of pre-season is playing games, that’s where you get all the fitness in,” said the Jamaican international.

“It’s nice to hit the back of the net, I just need to try and keep that going now.

“It’s a busy schedule coming up but that’s how we like it. Last season it was pretty much the same with a game every few days during the season so we were able to get used to a busy schedule.

“It’s a good chance to get minutes in everyone’s legs, get match sharpness and build relationships on the pitch. It’s definitely going to be good for us.

“There’s only so much you can do in training so nothing compares to game day minutes, match situations, learning how to deal with stuff, how to see out games, how to win games, dealing with being a man down, all that kind of stuff comes in to it and the matches are the best thing.”