SAM RICKETTS believes Wrexham will face a completely different test to what they are used to when they face Louletano Desportes Club in a friendly on Wednesday.

Wrexham, who have headed to the Algarve for a pre-season tour, face Portuguese third tier side Louletano at the 30,305 seat capacity Estádio Algarve, located near the town of Almancil, and Ricketts does not expect the match to be played at a furious pace.

"It will be a good game," said Ricketts.

"Slightly different to what we will play, it will be a far more possession based game.

"It won't be 100 miles an hour which is what we are more used to but it will be a good test for us to see certain things in and out of possession.

"It will be interesting to see how the players adapt to it."

The stadium played host to matches at the 2004 European Championships and former Wales international Ricketts says it will be a fantastic experience for the players.

"You can see it is a big ground," said Ricketts.

"It will be a good experience for the players to play in a ground like that and it is probably testament to what Wrexham brought following-wise last year that they want us to play in the stadium this year.

Wrexham have won their opening two friendlies against Lex and Airbus but while he would like to make it a hat-trick of victories, Ricketts wants to see his side's game-plan continuing to develop.

"We are in the third week now and like anything, fitness and everything will build during pre-season," said Ricketts.

"A double session yesterday, try and get a little bit of detail in certain aspects of the game and some physical work.

"We drip-fed a little bit of detail the first week, second week a little bit of out of possession, now we need to go a bit more specific on a few different things from now until the start of the season.

"We will just build that up to the start of the season and probably the first few weeks of the season to be honest with you, you never stop evolving, improving and tinkering throughout the whole season.

"We are just trying to get as much detail in but make sure it sinks in as well."

Eighteen players, including two trialists, have headed to Portugal and all are set to feature tonight.

"We will gradually step it up and see where each individual's fitness is up to," said Ricketts.

"Some will be half an hour, some will be 45 minutes, some will be 60 minutes.

"Pretty much everyone will play and it is just building their fitness up."

Rekeil Pyke, who had a brief loan spell at Wrexham from Huddersfield Town during the 2016-17 campaign, has returned to The Racecourse on a season long loan deal and Ricketts has backed the striker to be a success.

"Rekeil is still a young lad, he is only 20," added Ricketts.

"He is someone who when I first took the job got recommended by a few people I trust.

"I have done my research into Rekeil and it is one that has taken a while but I am delighted to have him here.

"He has got a great attitude, a really good future in the game, pace, power and everything I want from a forward.

"It is down to us now to give him the right service for him to be successful.

"We are bringing in good quality players, that's why sometimes it takes a little bit longer than everybody would like.

"I only want to sign good players who will lift the group and Rekeil certainly does that."