Newcastle United are considering whether to hand their players some family time in next year's first ever Premier League mid-season break.
The last two seasons have resulted in the Magpies jetting out to the Costa Blanca in Spain for some warm weather training under Rafa Benitez.
But while the possibility of a sunshine break in Dubai has been suggested behind the scenes for the fixture gap, Toon head coach Steve Bruce may reward his players with a screen break from training and allow his squad to recharge their batteries closer to home.
United will reassess their options later but the Premier League will split one round of fixtures over two weekends commencing February 8 and February 15 - when Newcastle face Arsenal away - so that players can enjoy a rest period.
This idea was to protect the traditional festive fixture list in the top-flight.
FA Cup fifth-round fixtures have also been switched to midweek during this perod.
Should United decide to jet to sunnier climes for warm weather training, they will still be permitted to play in a low key practice game, which has been the case in recent years against CSKA Moscow and Royal Antwerp.
Meanwhile, United are yet to sign up to any long haul pre-season trips for 2020 after last year's gruelling journey to China for the Premier League Asia Trophy.
As it stands they will be heading to a European destination with Bruce's preference likely to be Portugal.
United toured Portugal in both 2013 and 2018 when they based themselves in Braga with the club having good connections with SC Braga.
But Bruce usually opts to take teams he has managed to the Algarve, the destination he was in when his agent informed him that United had made an approach for his services in the final days of his tenure with Sheffield Wednesday last summer.
