Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United's week-long training camp in Spain will give them the ideal preparation for a hectic second half of the Premier League season.
United have four games left before the season takes a six-week break for the first winter World Cup, which begins in Qatar on November 20 and ends with the final on December 18.
A lot of Ten Hag's squad will be called up for the tournament, which begins just a week after United face Fulham at Craven Cottage a week on Sunday (November 13).
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But there will be some players who don't go and a major part of the challenge for United will be keeping those players match-fit during a six-week break between competitive fixtures, with United not in action again in the Premier League until the night of December 27.
While some clubs are giving players time off as soon as the season pauses, Ten Hag will keep those players not involved in the tournament training at Carrington, before then having a break and returning ahead of a week-long training camp in the Spanish city of Cadiz.
“It’s a strange season. It’s not like usual as we have a World Cup but also players will stay behind," Ten Hag told the club's official website.
"We have to train them during those six weeks and we have to give them the right programme so they stay in the right fitness levels, but also they stay in the right shape and also in the team style.
“We made a programme to do that, as optimum as possible. So, we will train here [at Carrington] for one week, or eight or nine days, and then we will have a short break. Then we will train and go to Spain for a training camp for one week.
“There, we can train proper. We have good opponents over there so we can get the game practice in as well. Then we will return, ready for the second stage of the season, I would say, but a long stage, longer than usual.”
United will face La Liga outfit Cadiz CF on Wednesday, December 7 (8pm) at the Nuevo Mirandilla stadium, with one more friendly to be confirmed that week.
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