Hayden Bird insists he is in no rush to get his starting 11 in order after the Robins kicked off their pre-season campaign with a defeat on Saturday.

Bird mixed and matched as Carshalton were handed a 3-0 loss by Blue Square South side Bromley at Colston Avenue.

And the Robins boss reckons he has plenty of time to get things right.

Bird said: “As far as I am concerned results are completely immaterial until we start our league fixtures on August 15.

“These games are only really about match fitness and giving players a chance.

“Everybody wants to play well but that was the first time this pre-season that we have used a ball - up until now it has all been about fitness and stamina.

“So I am not too concerned.

“I want the triallists to be given their opportunity, and it will only be at the end of this week that I start thinking about who to keep and who to release.”

The Robins were shorn of a few first-team regulars at the weekend, with Barry Stevens, Paul Honey, Lewis Goncalves and new keeper Wes Foderingham among the absentees due to holidays and injury.

Bird added: “There are quite a few injuries around but they are only really the usual pulls and strains that you get at this stage of the season.

“The simple fact is though if we had those players at our disposal I think Saturday would have been a very different game.

“In the first half we played some very neat football but lacked a cutting edge.

“But we changed a few players in the second half and we got overrun.

“Even so, I still feel that this is the best pre-season I have been involved in in terms of the attitude of the players, and I think we are well on course to hit the ground running when the season starts.”

Carshalton Athletic’s next three friendlies: July 25 Lewes (h), 28 Whyteleafe (a), Aug 1 Redbridge (h)