Manchester United have four games in ten days but other sides including top-four rivals Liverpool have a ‘second pre-season’ in the sun
Jose Mourinho's side face busy stretch but Everton, West Ham and Stoke among sides heading to sunny Middle East for camp
JOSE MOURINHO'S Manchester United side face four crunch fixtures in ten days - while top-four rivals Liverpool are swanning off for a second pre-season in the sunshine.
United are not back in Premier League action until March 4 thanks to a chock-a-block pile-up of Europa League, FA Cup and EFL Cup action.
Jurgen Klopp's men on the other hand have a two-week break before they travel to relegation-threatened Leicester in their next fixture.
It means the side currently fourth in the table have time to relax, regroup - and possibly re-enter the title race.
Five days in seaside tourist resort La Manga in Murcia, Spain, is coming up for Klopp's side.
There they will train in modest but comfortable temperatures of around 16 degrees celsius while plotting how to take advantage of dismal Leicester upon their return to action.
Manchester United's next five fixtures
February 16 - (H) Saint-Etienne, Europa League
February 19 - (A) Blackburn Rovers, FA Cup
February 22 - (A) Saint-Etienne, Europa League
February 26 - (N) Southampton, EFL Cup
March 4 - (H) Bournemouth, Premier League
In the meantime, United host Saint-Etienne in the Europa League round of 32 on Thursday before travelling to Blackburn for their FA Cup fifth-round clash on Sunday.
It will then be a quick turnaround for the journey to the west of France for the second-leg Europa tie against the Ligue 1 side on Wednesday week.
And United will then incredibly squeeze in another fixture the day before Klopp's men return.
The final game of this four-in-ten spell is against Southampton in the EFL Cup final on Sunday February 26.
Other teams are taking advantage of the 'Winter break'.
Everton don't play until February 25 and jetted off to Dubai today.
Ramiro Funes Mori was criticised by fans for his showing in the 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough on the weekend but looked full of beans on the flight out.
He posted a photo on Instagram of himself alongside Toffees team-mates with the caption: "On our way to Dubai with the lads!"
Slaven Bilic is also taking West Ham there for some warm-weather training. Bilic said: "Dubai - it's a common thing to do.
"There are a few reasons. We have a gap, the players have some free time to recharge the batteries but, first and foremost, we are going there to train."
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SunSport told you how David Moyes will take Sunderland to New York and Stoke, who don't play until February 26 when they visit Spurs, will jet off to the Middle East.
Boss Mark Hughes said: "The break has come at a good time for us to be perfectly honest, so we will look forward to it, utilise it correctly and hopefully be in really good shape for the next game."