Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is planning to take his players to Abu Dhabi for warm weather training during a gap in the fixture schedule, sources have told ESPN FC.

City are set to travel to the United Arab Emirates following the Champions League game against Monaco on Feb 21.

They do not play again until an away Premier League fixture at Sunderland on Mar. 5.

City had originally decided not to take a midseason training break but the free weekend has given them the opportunity for a few days away.

They had been scheduled to play Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Feb. 26, but the game was postponed after Jose Mourinho's side reached the EFL Cup final.

City could have a busy last three months, with fixtures in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, if they beat Huddersfield Town in the fifth round on Saturday.

After the Champions League second leg at Monaco, they play successive games against top-six rivals Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Last season, Guardiola took his Bayern Munich side on a warm-weather training break to Qatar, but described the Bundesliga's month-long winter break as "boring."