Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe knows he will be working with a limited group of players over in Saudi Arabia next week.
The Magpies chief is not expecting stars like Callum Wilson, Nick Pope or Kieran Trippier to be available for the first game back in the League Cup against AFC Bournemouth. And the likes of Fabian Schar and Bruno Guimaraes may also face longer stints in the Middle East with Switzerland and Brazil respectively.
Howe urged all of his players to make the most of the unprecedented mid-season break last month. And he knows things will get tougher again in the summer when there is a short turnaround between the end of the 2022/23 season and the start of the 23/24 campaign.