Melbourne City coach Patrick Kisnorbo admits figuring out how to handle the upcoming World Cup break is the "land of the unknown" for A-League Men clubs.
The season started earlier to allow for a pause between November 14 and December 8, for the World Cup group stage.
While the likes of Jamie Maclaren, Mathew Leckie and potentially Marco Tilio are poised to head to Qatar with the Socceroos, their teammates and coaches at City won't kick a ball in anger for close to four weeks.
"It's the land of the unknown," Kisnorbo told reporters.
"It's the first time it's happened to us. So time will tell.
"It's a bit like when COVID hit - you don't really know what's going to happen.
"So we'll have a month off, there'll be a break. We'll still train in that break. But yeah, we'll see what happens after that.
"But for us, we've got to concentrate on today and tomorrow and this week, and we'll wait for that to happen when it comes."
City plan to keep up their intense training at their Casey Fields base but Kisnorbo was uncertain whether they would turn to friendly games to keep up match fitness.
"I don't know if we will go away at all, so we could be stuck in Melbourne," he said.
"Games-wise, obviously the NPL will have just started in terms of pre-season, so we'll maybe try and get a couple of games there. But it's very difficult to organise those sorts of things.
"We'll have to deal with this unique situation when it comes."
The early season start allowed the league to get six games away with its full complement of Socceroos before breaking for the World Cup group stage, while allowing those players to impress.
City have started in imposing form, winning all three of their matches and don't plan on taking their foot off the accelerator in their next three games.
"I don't know any other way (than full steam ahead). Whether there was a break or no break, I'd probably still be the same," Kisnorbo said.
"I train the boys hard and and we train our hardest, every day we try and get better. That's what we have here."
City hope to welcome back skipper Scott Jamieson, who trained this week after he was a late withdrawal from the Melbourne derby with a groin injury, for Sunday's clash with Wellington.
Central defender Nuno Reis has recovered from a hamstring injury and is also in contention.
