Tony Gold says he faces a selection nightmare ahead of London Lions’ opening matches of the new season.

Having clinched the Spartan South Midlands League Division One title in May, the Lions start their first-ever season in the SSML Premier Division with a match away to Leverstock Green on August 10.

They entertain Stotfold in the FA Cup a week later, but with the majority of his squad playing for Team GB at the Maccabiah, Gold fears he could be down to the bare bones.

"It’s a bit of a nightmare," said Gold who led the first pre-season training session at the weekend. "It’s going to be a pretty difficult pre-season as most of my boys are away. It’s not the ideal preparation for playing in a new division.

"Once the boys come back from Israel, some won’t want to see a football for a while and I’ll have to keep my fingers crossed they come back fit and healthy. Many of them will be mentally and physically exhausted.

"On the flipside, it shows how far we’ve come as a club. We’ll need to be at our strongest, but it’s a very unique situation. If we can avoid relegation I’ll consider it a good season."

Lions will play FC Romania in the FA Vase.