Man Utd boss Fergie defends Saudi trip

United will play a friendly with Al Hilal today.

He said: “It is a good opportunity for the players to have a little break with some peace and quiet.

“Hopefully they will get a bit of sun on their backs too. It is always nice to get all the squad together.

“The players who joined this season like Carlos Tevez, Nani and Anderson will enjoy the camaraderie and get to know their team-mates even more.

“So it’ll do us good. We return home on Thursday and hopefully we come back refreshed and ready to continue the challenge for honours.”