Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata believes that the club’s mini training break in Dubai could help them to fulfil their ambitions between now and the end of the season.

With the Red Devils out of the FA Cup, they used their weekend off to travel to the Middle East for a mid-season break.

The short getaway has been far from a holiday, with the United squad training hard away from the glare of the English media as they look to get their ailing season back on track.

David Moyes’ men have endured a difficult start to the campaign, with their poor form having effectively ended any hopes of retaining their Premier League crown while leaving them a whopping 11 points adrift of fourth placed Liverpool – who have a superior goal difference.

Mata – recent arrival at Old Trafford – feels that their Dubai training camp has helped him to settle in and will boost the club’s chances of pushing for Champions League qualification:

"The club thought a few days of work far from Manchester would be good for us, in order to recharge our batteries with a view to the final stage of the season," he is quoted by the Daily Star.

"We fly back to Manchester to get ready for our next game in the Premiership and we hope to start a good run of results.

"These kind of breaks always help to make the group even stronger and to switch off a bit from the different competitions and the tight schedule," Mata said.

"Personally, these days are good for me to settle even more in the team and share these moments with my team-mates and also, obviously, to train hard and get used to the new working patterns after just three weeks in the club.”

Click below to find out how mini can be mighty!