Manchester United flew out to Dubai on Monday morning without five members of their squad.

Boss Jose Mourinho has taken advantage of the fact that his team don't play again until next Monday by taking them off for some warm weather training in the United Arab Emirates.

United face Stoke on January 15, with the match staying on its original date after the Potters suffered a shock FA Cup third round defeat to League One side Coventry at the weekend. Had that match gone to a replay, then United would have faced Stoke this Saturday instead.

Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, David de Gea and Marcos Rojo have all made the trip (
Image:
Manchester United)
Jose Mourinho will put his team through their paces in Dubai (
Image:
Manchester United)

As reported by our friends at the Manchester Evening News , it is United's first trip out to Dubai in four years, but they flew out without five of their first team stars.

Both Romelu Lukaku and Matteo Darmian had got a headstart on the squad and arrived in Dubai at the weekend after starting Friday's FA Cup third round clash with Derby County from the bench. Lukaku came on at half-time and scored in the 2-0 win .

Injured pair Eric Bailly and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have not travelled, while photographers failed to spot goalkeeper Sergio Romero among the travelling party.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still out injured (
Image:
Getty Images Europe)

All the other squad members are believed to be present, with young goalkeeper Kieran O'Hara replacing Romero.

Speaking about the trip after the Derby match, Mourinho said: "We need to recover but at the same time we also need to train because during this crazy time we have not had many times to work on details that you want to work on.

Romelu Lukaku came off the bench to score against Derby (
Image:
Reuters/Jason Cairnduff)

"It’s been more about the recovery from the match and the travelling and the preparations for the next one without time to work.

"If we can have time to have a good, nice week to recover some injured players and tired players and, at the same time, work on some tactical details I think it would be good for the second part of the season."

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