Manchester United assistant coach Michael Carrick says taking the squad to Dubai this week has been the right decision.

Carrick, who has been reunited with former colleagues Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Mike Phelan in his first season after retiring as a player, explained that the climate in the Middle East enables the staff to focus on more detailed sessions.

“It's fantastic. It allows us to train in a way where you probably can't do it at home, at this moment, with it being so cold," reported Carrick.

“We can work on different things. When it's freezing cold at home, you've got to keep on the move and you don't want the lads standing around too much.

“So here we'll work hard, especially over the next few days, and prepare for Sunday, but it allows us to maybe spend a little bit more time on the training ground and go into a little bit more detail, which we need at this moment.

“As you can imagine, it's quite a happy camp. When you're winning football matches, you can't put a price on the feeling that gives you, and the confidence and the belief.

"You almost sense a calmness when you're winning games. It's great to see the lads enjoying themselves. The football's flowing, the training's good, they're bouncing around the place, and it's nice to see."