Manager Erik ten Hag has taken his Manchester United squad to a training camp in Spain hoping for a fitness boost ahead of the Premier League return.
The Dutchman's first few months in charge at Old Trafford were dogged by the fall-out from his decision to drop Cristiano Ronaldo as a first-team regular.
But United terminated the Portugal star's contract after he criticised the manager and club officials in a controversial interview with British television chat show host Piers Morgan.
Ten Hag can now focus on the players who are still in his squad as they prepare for friendly matches against Cadiz and Real Betis on Wednesday and Saturday.
While England's Marcus Rashford and Brazil's Antony remain at the World Cup, Anthony Martial, Anthony Elanga and Alejandro Garnacho are at United's training camp in Andalucia.
"Not [just] to keep fit, [it's] to get fitter and to improve in the fitness levels," Ten Hag told MUTV.
"If we see the season so far, especially in the front line, we didn't always have the players available. When they were available, they were not always capable of being at the right fitness levels to compete.
"This is an important objective: to fill that gap, to close that gap (so) that we are better after the winter, in the restart.
"[The aim is] to be better and to compete and to match the fitness levels in the Premier League and in the top four."
United are fifth in England's top flight, three points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and 11 behind leaders Arsenal. They return to domestic action on December 27, at home to Nottingham Forest.
Images of the United players training in Spain can be seen in the gallery above. To view the next image, just swipe.
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Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
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