Manchester United are at the start of a run of more than three weeks without a game and the challenge of how to use that time is occupying minds at Old Trafford.
Manchester United train at Carrington
Manchester United have a long break before facing Leeds in their next competitive fixture
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Manchester United are considering a training camp away from Carrington once their international players return, as they weigh up how to use the 24-day break between games.
United have more than three weeks without a fixture between their 2-2 draw at Bournemouth on the south coast on Friday night and their Old Trafford date with Leeds on Monday, April 13.
The first part of that break is due to the latest international window, but United will miss a second consecutive weekend of action due to the FA Cup quarter-finals, having been knocked out at the first hurdle by Brighton.
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Michael Carrick's team then play last the following weekend, with their cross-Pennine clash with Leeds moved to Monday night for live coverage on Sky Sports. That leaves United with a substantial gap between competitive games at a crucial time of the season.
A small group of non-international players are training at Carrington at the start of the week, before being given a break later this week and told they can go on holiday.
The full group will then return towards the end of next week, once the international players return to Carrington, but they will still likely have at least a 10 or 11-day lead-in to the game against Leeds.
It is understood United haven't currently arranged any behind-closed-doors games to keep players sharp, but the possibility of a short training camp hasn't been ruled out.
United officials had considered playing friendlies overseas during one of the breaks this season, with the absence of European football and defeats at the first stage of both domestic cup competitions restricting them to just 40 games.
A couple of fixtures in Saudi Arabia had been mooted to recoup some of the revenues that will have fallen away this term, but those plans were shelved once Carrick delivered an upturn in form, with the focus turning to maintaining momentum and securing Champions League qualification.
United are well-placed to achieve that with seven games remaining. A return of 23 points from a possible 30 under Carrick have moved them into third in the table, and they have a seven-point buffer to Chelsea in sixth.
Speaking about the break between games after the controversial draw in Bournemouth, Carrick said: "It feels like a long time, because it's the international [break], with the internationals it's only one weekend, and the fact that by the time normally the boys rush back from internationals, it gives them a chance to not have to rush back as much.
"So it feels long when you say days-wise, but the fact that the boys will be training and a lot of them will be playing two games anyway. We'll make the most of it, you know, when we all get back together, we'll get ready for Leeds."