East Grinstead are under pressure as they make a return to European outdoor action in Barcelona later today.

The current premier division leaders are in Spain for round one of the world hockey's elite club competition, the EuroHockey League.

They will play Belarusians Dinamo Stroitel this afternoon and Dutch side SV Kampong tomorrow.

Grinstead failed to qualify for Europe outdoors for the 2013-14 campaign, having finished fifth in the premier division the previous season.

They bounced back strongly domestically last year by winning the national league, which secured their return to Europe, but lost the championship play-off final in a shootout to Beeston, whose reward was the No. 1 seeding for Europe.

Certain things have changed since Grinstead were last in the EuroHockey League, including the fact that there are only two English representatives in the competition this season and that the respective No. 1 seeds from each country have an automatic bye to the last 16 stage.

Perhaps the most significant change is that only the top team from each pool at the round one stage progress to the last 16 – rather than the top two which has been the case in previous seasons.

That means Grinstead must win pool A this weekend or their outdoor European return will be over in a flash.

East Grinstead manager Matt Jones said: “It is the top club competition in the world. It is what every player wants to be competing in.

“There have obviously been some changes in the last 12 months, notably the fact that England have dropped down to two places from three which puts a bit more pressure on Beeston and ourselves to try to accrue as many points as possible.

“The competition has changed its format where there are still groups of three but now only the top team goes through. The fact that you have to win your group puts added pressure on us in what is undoubtedly one of the toughest groups there is in the competition with Dinamo Stroitel and Kampong.”

Stroitel are competing in the EuroHockey League for the first time and will be viewed as the weaker of the three teams in pool A.

Jones said: “We fully recognise Dinamo Stroitel's strength and ability to pose a significant threat. They are big, strong, quick, very well organised, incredibly determined and what they may lack in flair, they make up for in bucketloads elsewhere.

“We have faced plenty of Russian, Ukranian and Belarusian sides in the past, both indoor and outdoor, to know only too well what they can throw at you.

“For them, it is their first time outdoors in the EuroHockey League. They will be throwing absolutely everything at it and so must we. As far as we are concerned there is only one match on our schedule at the moment which we are preparing for and that is the first game against Dinamo Stroitel. That is a cup final in itself. Because of the new format we have to win that game. Then we can look forward from there.”

Ross Stott is the only injury doubt going into the weekend but is expected to be fit.

Grinstead boast a wealth of experience in their squad with the likes of captain Niall Stott, Ashley Jackson, Mark Pearn and Glenn Kirkham.

Jones is relishing the tests ahead. He said: “We are very excited to be back in Europe. It is a great shame we didn’t go through as No.1 seeds having won the league itself.

“It was very frustrating to slip up in the championship play-off final but there has to be a winner and the prize was an automatic bye to the KO16.”