CHERRIES are soon set to return for pre-season, at the dawn of a new era.

Andoni Iraola is set to jet in later this week to start work in earnest as head coach, having been appointed to replace Gary O’Neil last Monday.

There will also be one new member of the playing staff to get settled in, Justin Kluivert completing his move to the club from Roma on Friday.

When do the players return?

Cherries’ squad will be back at the training ground on Saturday, July 1 for pre-season testing.

This will present a chance to meet with Iraola for the first time, six weeks before the Premier League campaign gets underway.

Training sessions are set to begin from Monday, as Iraola looks to whip his new squad into shape and get his ideas across.

The first part of pre-season will take place in Bournemouth, before the squad fly out to Spain on Friday, July 7.

They will again head to the Marbella Football Center, as they did last year.

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Who are the friendlies against?

As well as some arduous training sessions, the 10-day warm weather camp is also set to include two friendly matches at the training base, the first games under Iraola’s stewardship.

Cherries will face Scottish Premiership side Hibernian on Thursday, July 13, before rounding off their trip in Spain with a game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, now managed by former Tottenham Hotspur striker Robbie Keane, on Sunday, July 16. Both games are set to kick-off at 6pm UK time, with tickets available for travelling fans.

The squad are then due to fly back to England the following day, before resuming training in Bournemouth.

It is understood a behind-closed-doors game at the training ground is then likely to be played, before fans in England will get their first chance to see Iraola’s Cherries in a friendly up the road at Southampton on Tuesday, July 25 (7.45pm).

Iraola’s first home game in charge follows on Saturday, July 29, against Italian outfit Atalanta (3pm).

Cherries then round off their pre-season schedule by hosting French team FC Lorient, also owned by Bill Foley, on Saturday, August 5 (5pm).

When will the new kit be launched?

An official release date is still unclear.

However, it is understood that the club’s new official training wear, as well as potentially at least one of the new kits, could be unveiled before the team fly to Spain at the end of next week.

Last year, the home kit was launched on July 6, 2022, exactly a month to the day prior to the start of the Premier League season. The away kit then eventually followed on July 26.

The home kit launch date was later in 2021, revealed on July 16.