Manchester United’s South American players have been pictured training ahead of their forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.
With the Reds not back in action until our FA Cup fourth round clash against Middlesbrough on 4 February, Ralf Rangnick has given his players some time off.
However, due to another international break being added this year the Premier League has taken a two-week break.
With the European play-offs for World Cup qualification not taking place until March, the rearranged South American qualifiers are taking place over the next two months.
With four games remaining, each side will play two matches across January and February with the remaining two games taking place in March.
The qualifiers were rearranged following them being suspended last March due to the coronavirus pandemic and th travel restrictions imposed as a result.
The matches were placed in jeopardy due to the refusal of top clubs in the Premier League, Bundesliga and La Liga to release their Europe-based stars in order to travel across for the qualifiers.
Fred and Alex Telles have been called-up by Brazil and Edinson Cavani has been called-up for Uruguay, alongside United loanee Facundo Pellistri, who is part of the senior side for the first time.
The quartet have been pictured training ahead of their qualifiers.
Unlike Fred and Telles, Cavani and Pellistri are in danger of not qualifying for this winter’s competition.
Two-time World Cup winners Uruguay are currently seventh in the South America standings, one point off the qualification spots.
But with games against Paraguay and Venezuela, the two sides who sit at the bottom of the CONMEBOL table, Diego Alonso’s side will be hoping to claim all six points to boost their qualification chances.
In March, Manchester United players, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot, Scott McTominay, Victor Lindelof and possibly even Anthony Elanga and Dylan Levitt, will also all be hoping to book their places at Qatar.
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