JOHN Carver expects an update on Newcastle United’s search for a head coach on Saturday evening, but the caretaker boss revealed he will oversee the club’s training camp to Dubai next week.

The Magpies host Southampton in a 5:30pm kick-off in what could be Carver’s last game before the club appoints a permanent successor to Alan Pardew.

With no FA Cup fourth round tie next weekend, Carver, who turns 50 today, will take the squad to Dubai for a five-day camp on Sunday morning, but before that he will speak to managing director Lee Charnley.

Owner Mike Ashley has tasked Charnley and chief scout Graham Carr with finding a suitable head coach and Remi Garde remains the bookmakers’ favourite to take over.

Pardew’s replacement is likely to be in place by the time Newcastle return to action at Hull City on January 31, but Carver has been told to lead the trip to Dubai, which he insists will not be a chance for players to let their hair down.

“I’ll have a conversation with Lee before we go away,” said Carver, who revealed Mehdi Abeid, Siem de Jong and Gabriel Obertan are closing in on a return to action.

“We go to Dubai on Sunday evening. Monday we’ll have a recovery session plus a session for all the guys who don’t play. Tuesday will be a full day (training) session.

“Wednesday they will be off, they'll have a free day, some will play golf so it will be like a normal week and we come back on the Thursday.

“It's was arranged when Alan was manager. For the last three or four years we've had a mid-season break - we've got a hurricane out there to deal with and it's difficult to do good quality stuff with the wind howling.

“People will be putting two and two together and thinking it's a jolly, but let me tell you it's no jolly-up. There will be curfews and I will treat the players with respect but if anyone oversteps the mark or breaks the curfew then they will be fined.

“We'd still have gone away even if we'd had an FA Cup game this week. It's just like a normal week that mirrors our regular work here.”

Carver outlined his desire to take over at St James’ Park after the Leicester City defeat, but it remains to be seen whether he has done enough to convince Ashley he is the right man.

There is still a chance he could be given the job until the end of the season if Newcastle cannot appoint their preferred choice straight away, but regardless of what happens the 50-year-old admits he is keen to manage on a full time basis.

He said: “I have had two of the best weeks of my life, because I’ve been able to get on with the football and not worry about anything else.

“I’ve been able to work with a group of players who have been absolutely outstanding. They’ve listened to what I’ve said and they’ve bought into what I’ve tried to do.

“When you’ve had two weeks like I’ve had, it gives you that hunger to want to do it for the rest of your life. It has absolutely whetted my appetite for it.”

Interestingly, though, Carver revealed he has not had any conversations regarding the club’s transfer business this month.

Pardew urged Ashley to sanction the arrival of a new striker before he left for Crystal Palace, but despite his desire to lead Newcastle permanently, Carver has not sought clarification on transfers from Charnley or Carr.

“I'm not even thinking about that side of it,” he said. “I'm concentrating on the team and team meetings, preparing the video dealing with the media and I don't get involved in it (transfers).

“There's continuous work going on behind the scenes and it’s definitely an on-going process whether it's for now or for later.”

Carver’s admission that he would happily manage Newcastle without a say in transfers didn’t go down well with supporters, but the caretaker boss denied he is another ‘yes man.’ He said: “When I was managing in Toronto, one of the reasons why I came back was because I was trying to do it my way.

“I was head coach looking after the football side of it, trying to progress the technical side and unfortunately they weren’t moving as quickly as I wanted them to. I got very frustrated.

“I’ve set the team up slightly different on the pitch, certainly against Chelsea you saw a different performance. I’ve done some things different in team meetings, how I’ve worked with the players is slightly different. I am my own man.

“You live by the sword, you die by the sword. If I don’t do it my way and I don’t get the job, then I’ll think ‘why didn’t I do it like that?’ I’m going to do it my way and if I don’t get the job then at least I know I’ve done it my way.”