Teemu Pukki is hoping the enforced break from football will work in his favour when Norwich City resume their campaign later this month.

Pukki has spent much of lockdown with his pet dog as his footballing partner in his back garden.

But City are now back in light contact training ahead of their return on the weekend of June 20-21 as they look to make up a six-point gap at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Norwich are six points adrift at the bottom of the table with nine games left to salvage their Premier League status.

The Finn has called on City to hit the ground running when the action returns.

“The plan is that we will be 100 per cent when we start,” he said. “That is what we are focusing on and that is all that we can do - be the best that we can be. We need to start getting points from the very first game to decrease the gap and eventually overtake teams.

“I think the break has probably good for me. I was on a long run with a lot of games so I kind of needed that break. I am really happy to be back training with the ball now.”

While City players have to work hard to regain match fitness after an absence of two months away from their Colney training centre, Pukki has at least been able to play a little during lockdown.

“That is the only touch of the ball that I have had during this break, playing with my dog in the back garden,” Pukki said in an interview with Sky Sports.

“I want to see what this break has done to my touch.”

Pukki scored 29 goals league goals last season and six in the first five games of the Premier League season – which came as a bit of a surprise to the 30-year-old.

“It was crazy,” he said. “I did not believe that it would go that well. It gave me the confidence that I could do it at this level and it helped me a lot. Those were some good periods for me but there have been tough periods this season since then. That is where I need to improve. I need to keep my level up and be more sharp.

“Last year, in the Championship, I always knew that there would be another chance coming so it was easier. In the Premier League, there are only one or two chances in a game so you have to take them. That is what I need to improve. I need to be more precise.”