Edinburgh excited for O’s to get new National League campaign underway

Leyton Orient head coach Justin Edinburgh speaks with Charlie Lee (pic: Simon O'Connor). Simon O'Connor Photography

After weeks of pre-season, the real games begin on Saturday and Orient are live on BT Sport again

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Leyton Orient start their new National League season this weekend and head coach Justin Edinburgh is excited about what they can achieve.

The O’s have had a settled and solid summer with not too many injuries picked up and most of the squad ready and raring to go ahead for the first game away to Salford City.

Orient ended pre-season with a 2-2 draw at home to old rivals Southend United and it followed a 1-1 result on July 24 at St Albans City.

But the friendlies are over now and it is almost time for the real games to begin and O’s head coach can’t wait for the first ball to be kicked on Saturday (12.30pm).

“As a manager, you want the season to start and everyone is full of optimism and has great plans for what lies ahead and we’re no different,” said Edinburgh.

“Pre-season has gone as well as it could have in terms of preparation, injuries and the minutes the squad got.

“Everyone connected with the football club, our fans and ourselves, are now looking forward to the start of the league season and getting into the competitive games.

“We have a tough start away to the favourites for the league and on TV, but these are the games we want to be playing in.”

Edinburgh will have some tricky decisions to make prior to Saturday’s lunch time kick-off, but he does know who will start in goal.

Dean Brill will be between the sticks at Moor Lane after taking over as O’s first-choice goalkeeper last December.

The Orient head coach also revealed Sam Sargeant will be the club’s number two, but discussed his disappointment that fitness issues prevented more challenges being put to Brill during the summer.

“As it stands now, Sam will be number two,” explained Edinburgh. “Unfortunately for both Charlie (Grainger) and Sam pre-season hasn’t gone the way they wanted it.

“Charlie has had a lot of injuries and has missed two weeks of training so he fell down the pecking order.

“Sam had a throat infection and missed a lot of training, so it has been disappointing for them not to be able to push Dean as much as they wanted. There are circumstances for that, but as it stands Sam will be number two.”