Ronald Koeman says his Southampton side is 'feeling fresh' ahead of the weekend's meeting with Manchester United.
The fourth-placed Saints head up north to take on Louis van Gaal's third-placed United at Old Trafford on Sunday and Koeman suggests his players have freshened up thanks to a mini-break following the hectic festive schedule.
"It was good to give them some days off, to stay with family, or to travel and have something different. They've come back fresh, and we have to be fresh if you want to have a chance against Manchester United," he told the club's YouTube channel.
"We had three days off. I think the players deserved to have some days off. It was a tough period during Christmas and New Year but it was good to be back training on Thursday and Friday.
"The team is looking good, I hope more fresh than they were in the last match against Ipswich Town (in the FA Cup). I think everyone in the Premier League needs at least some days off after that tough programme."
Southampton rallied during the latter stages of December to win three of four fixtures which cemented them in the top four after a run of four-straight defeats between November 30 and December 13.
