BILLERICAY Town manager Craig Edwards insists he is not concerned about burn-out despite his season’s heavy pre-season programme.

Town play three matches in the next four days, beginning with the visit of League One Gillingham tonight before matches against Sutton and Ebbsfleet United on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Matches against Thurrock, Aveley, AFC Hornchurch and Great Wakering Rovers complete Billericay’s 10-match schedule ahead of a season opener against Merstham on Saturday, August 13.

But Edwards insists his team will be fully fit and not overworked come the first day of the campaign.

“I am not worried about burn-out at all,” he said. “It is not about games but minutes. We know what they are all doing.

“The longest anyone has played is 60 minutes per game and no-one has played more than 135 minutes in the three games to date. A lot of teams may have played two games and a lot of their players would have played 120 minutes or near to that.

“I am not worried about getting longer under the players belts until the last three first-team games against Aveley, Thurrock and Hornchurch. They will provide good tests as they are teams that will compete towards the upper end of the Ryman North.

“Come the first game no-one will have played more than 5-and-a-half games.”

Billericay added six new names to his squad at the start of the week with Sam Cross, Alistair Gordon, Pierre Hazet, Dorin Popovici, Lloyd Ross and Kieran Asumadu-Sakyi.

And Edwards believes they will be good additions to the group.

“They are good signings for us,” he said. “We wanted a left back after George Beavan left as we wanted to move Alex Stephenson inside to centre-back. Sam Cross stood out early on – he is very steady and is the type of player I have always liked, he is a bigger James Hawes.

“(Former Chelsea and Crystal palace product) Alistair Gordon wasn’t fit enough when he came to us but his talent is clear. Against Leyton Orient he was our best player and he can player in midfield or at right-back.

“We had Pierre at the end of last season and he found it difficult to break in but was very good for the Under-21s and he has come on. I saw him as a replacement for Poole but he is more in the Frank Curley mould and I think he will be very important for us.

“Popovici was playing for Brescia in Italy and is a Moldovan U19 international. In his first game he looked like a seasoned professional and he is only 20. His hardest work will be grasping the banter but his English is improving all the time.

“Kieran was on the fringes of Enfield Town last year and was very good against Reading. He is powerful and determined, strong and quick.

“Lloyd Ross will feature primarily for the Under-21s but he can play anywhere across midfield so is a good addition.”