Premier League Clubs Heading To Spain, Dubai And Abu Dhabi For World Cup Breaks

All eyes might be on Qatar over the next few weeks but many Premier League players not going to the World Cup will be busy with their club sides preparing for the second half of the season.

Premier League clubs are lining up training camps and a series of friendly matches, with the United Arab Emirates being a particularly popular destination.

The UAE’s warmer weather makes it an appealing choice, and its proximity to Qatar means that players can join up with their club teams easily should their national team get eliminated for the World Cup early.

With accommodation in Qatar in short supply, some have suggested that fans “commute” to the World Cup from the UAE. Should any fans actually do this, they could also squeeze in some friendly matches along the way.

Liverpool and Arsenal are both in Dubai, and will play friendlies against AC Milan and Lyon. Both sides have a large number of players not featuring in the World Cup. Arsenal are also planning a friendly match at the Emirates later in December. Chelsea, Leicester City and Manchester City are in Abu Dhabi, where they will also play some friendly matches.

Manchester United meanwhile are heading to Spain for a training camp and games against Cadiz on December 7 and Real Betis on December 10. Tickets for those games have been on sale since the start of November. Nottingham Forest will also be in Spain, playing Valencia to mark the centenary of the Mestalla, the La Liga side’s stadium.

Everton are heading much further afield, traveling all the way to Sydney in November for matches against Celtic and Western Sydney Wanderers in the inaugural “Sydney Super Cup”. The Toffees have clearly decided that the World Cup break is basically the same as a pre-season tour, and are taking advantage of the chance to play matches in a region where kick-off times mean they won’t be competing with the World Cup for viewers. Just like a pre-season tour, Everton will be holding open training sessions for fans Down Under.

Even though much of the focus will be on the World Cup, these friendly matches could attract viewers who are uneasy at the tournament being held in Qatar, so could be more popular than they might at first seem.

Most other clubs haven’t confirmed their plans yet, but will have several friendlies during the international break. Crystal Palace will play Brazilian side Botofogo at Selhurst Park and along with Wolverhampton Wanderers are rumored to also be heading to Turkey, while Newcastle United will play Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia and have a friendly against Spanish side Rayo Vallecano lined up at St. James’ Park.

West Ham United and Fulham are scheduled to play each other at Craven Cottage. Aston Villa will play a memorial match for the late Peter Whittingham in Cardiff and host new manager Unai Emery’s former side Villareal as well as heading abroad for a training camp. Real Sociedad are another La Liga side visiting England; they’ll play Leeds United at Elland Road.

The fourth round of the Carabao Cup will take place in the midweek immediately after the World Cup final, and for some teams could act as a de-facto final friendly match before the Premier League restarts. Players involved in the latter stages of the World Cup will certainly not be involved in those games, so Manchester City’s tie with Liverpool will likely see much changed line-ups.