Cape Town - Lions assistant coach Johan Ackermann insists the players will react positively to coach John Mitchell returning to the union.

Mitchell was suspended in June after players gave a list of grievances to the union president, complaining of the training methods employed by the former All Black.

However, Mitchell was found not guilty of all complaints of misconduct levelled against him and reinstated into his coaching role.

Ackermann, who coached the side during the Currie Cup, said there are a lot of players at the union that weren't involved in the saga.

“We’ve got a lot of new faces," he told the EWN Sport website.

"We have eight signings and those players do not carry any baggage. They are quite keen; we can see that in the way they train and the way they respond.”

Ackermann said he expected those who were present when Mitchell was suspended, to be mature enough to put their issues behind them.

The Lions won’t play Super Rugby next year after being replaced by the Port Elizabeth-based Southern Kings.