Manchester United line up Cadiz friendly and winter break during Qatar World Cup training camp

Manchester United will play two games during the mid-season break for the Qatar World Cup, including one against La Liga side Cadiz.

The Premier League side have announced that they will spend a week in Spain for a training camp while the domestic season is on hold and the World Cup takes place at its unusual spot in the football calendar.

Traditionally the international tournament is held in the summer months but due to the heat in Qatar it has been shifted to the winter, starting on November 20 and running for a month.

That sees United play their last game before the break on November 13, with a trip to Fulham in West London, and then they play their next game on December 27, when they host relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.

The first of their two games in Spain will be against La Liga side Cadiz on December 7, with another game to be played against an unspecified opponent on a yet-to-be confirmed date.

“It’s a strange season,” the Dutch coach said. “It’s not like usual as we have a World Cup but also players will stay behind.

“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’s football director John Murtough added more detail, stating: “Erik and the team have made good progress during this first half of the season, and it is important we maintain this momentum coming out of the World Cup break.

“A winter training camp will be a vital part of the team’s preparations for the second half of the season.

“We have lined up a high-quality local opponent to play against, ensuring match fitness and sharpness is retained.

“The camp and game will also allow for some of our young talent to experience training and playing in a first team environment, as well as provide entertaining club football for fans.”