Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney says having Christmas Day off has been welcomed by the players.

Unlike his predecessors David Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson, Van Gaal has instructed his players to stay at home on Thursday, even though they have a match at home to Newcastle 24 hours later.

"We're not training on Christmas Day this year because we'll be spending it at home, which will be good for the foreign players and those of us with children," said Rooney, who has two sons.

"It must be strange for the new players to have more games than ever over Christmas, having had the time off previously.

"They have to adapt and be ready for it, while being aware of the fixture list. I'm sure they'll be prepared for the upcoming games."