Corry Evans has outlined the importance of this week's training stint in Dubai, with the break giving Tony Mowbray a welcome chance to work closely with the players and further implement his ideas.

Mowbray's arrival in August meant the boss didn't have a pre-season and had to try and put his own touch on the side while also dealing with the relentless nature of the Championship and games coming thick and fast.

Now though, the chance for a mid-campaign breather has provided Mowbray with an opportunity for what is almost a mini pre-season and skipper Evans says the boss is relishing the time on the training pitch.

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Evans told the club website: “It will be massive. The manager has come in through the season so he hasn’t really had a pre-season where he can try different things in training.

“This week, he is really looking forward to it with all the coaching staff to try and implement his way of playing more within the squad. We’re all looking forward to what the week holds.”

Northern Ireland international Evans is used to getaways at this stage of the season but it's normally with country, not club.

The Championship break gave the players the opportunity to enjoy some family time before the squad gathered again and attention turned to the second half of the season.

Evans said: “It’s quite similar in that I normally go away on internationals in November time but it does have a sort of pre-season feel about it. But it will all be geared up towards our first game back against Millwall on the 3rd.

“It’s nice to get the little break because it has been a pretty hectic start back into life in the Championship.

“It was good to spend some time with the family. I think all of the lads enjoyed the small break where we could switch off for a week but now it’s back to down to business where we can crack on and focus on the next game coming up in a couple of weeks. Reassess and try and kick on for the second half of the season.”

As well as the training, Sunderland will play a friendly against Al-Shabab at the Jebel Ali Centre of Excellence this Friday.

For boss Mowbray, though, the most important element of the trip isn't the training or the game, it's the togetherness - and the opportunity for key players such as Ross Stewart to step up their recovery from injury.

He said: “For me, it’s about the bonding and the ability to be together. To have breakfast, lunch, training and on an evening watch the World Cup matches together. There will be a benefit.

“Ally that to some pretty key footballers coming back to fitness, I would hope on the back of that we can reboot our season and win football matches on a regular basis.”

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