Premier League clubs head to Spain, Dubai and Abu Dhabi for World Cup off-season

All eyes may be on Qatar in the coming weeks, but many Premier League players who are not at the World Cup will be busy with their club teams preparing for the second half of the season.

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

The UAE’s warm weather makes it an attractive option, and its proximity to Qatar means players can easily join their club team if their national team is eliminated early in the World Cup.

With accommodation in Qatar in short supply, some have suggested fans “commute” from the UAE to the World Cup. If any fans do, they could also squeeze in some friendlies in the process.

Liverpool and Arsenal are in Dubai and will play friendly matches against AC Milan and Lyon. Both sides have a large number of players who did not play in the World Cup.Arsenal too Plan a friendly match On Emirates in late December. Chelsea, Leicester City and Manchester City are all in Abu Dhabi, where they will also play some friendly matches.

Meanwhile, Manchester United to Spain Training camp and games against Cadiz and Real Betis on 7th and 10th December. Tickets for these games have been on sale since early November.Nottingham Forest will also play Valencia in Spain Centennial of Mestallathe stadium of the La Liga team.

Everton are heading further afield, heading all the way to Sydney in November to play Celtic and Western Sydney Wanderers at the inauguration “Sydney Super Bowl”. The Toffees have clearly decided that the World Cup off-season is largely the same as the pre-season tour, and are using the opportunity to play for spectators in a region where kick-off time means they won’t compete with the World Cup. Just like on the pre-season tour, Everton will host open training sessions for Australian fans.

While much of the focus will be on the World Cup, these friendlies are likely to attract spectators who are uneasy about the tournament being played in Qatar, and thus could be more popular than it first seems.

Most of the other clubs have yet to confirm their plans, but there will be several friendly matches during the international break.Crystal Palace will take on Brazilian side Botofogo at Selhurst Park and Wolverhampton Wanderers Rumored to be heading to Turkeywhile Newcastle United will play hilal in saudi arabia And a friendly match against Spanish team Rayo Vallecano at St James’ Park.

West Ham and Fulham are scheduled to play at Craven Cottage.Aston Villa will host a commemorative game for the late Peter Whittingham in Cardiff and host new manager Villarreal in front of Unai Emery As well as traveling abroad to attend training camps. Real Sociedad are another La Liga team heading to England; they will take on Leeds United at Elland Road.

The fourth round of the League Cup will take place in the mid-week after the World Cup final, which for some teams could be a de facto final friendly before the Premier League restarts. Players involved in the late stages of the World Cup will certainly not be involved in these games, so there could be a big squad change for Manchester City’s match against Liverpool.