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Ronald Koeman has warned Everton’s players their trip to Dubai will be no holiday - with the Blues set to play a mid-season friendly as part of their week-long training camp.

With two weeks until their next fixture, the Blues squad will fly out on Monday for five days of warm-weather training in the United Arab Emirates.

Koeman watched his side sign off for their break with a hard-fought goalless draw at Middlesbrough on Saturday, and afterwards outlined his plans for the coming week.

He said: “The plan is that we will go from Monday to Saturday. We have some new faces in the team, and I think it is good to do.

“We have had a tough programme, we have done well but it is time to recover. This is no time to take a holiday. That is out of the question.”

The Blues intend to play a friendly match against as-yet-unconfirmed opposition on Friday, returning home the following day to start preparations for their Premier League clash with David Moyes’ Sunderland on February 25.

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“We will train every day, we will play a friendly on Friday,” Koeman said. “They will have some free time together, hopefully have good communication and keep the momentum of the season.

“It’s all about finishing strongly in the league, and from there everything is possible.”

Koeman joked that there had been rain forecast for the Persian Gulf this week – he got plenty of preparation for that at a very wet Riverside Stadium – but was quick to reiterate his message that the trip was about work, not play.

He said: “It’s time to recover and have a balance between training and recovery. It’s a good place to go, a different temperature – not bad!

“I was watching the weather forecast and they expect some rain. I hope that we don’t take the rain out of Middlesbrough to Dubai!

“It’s good for the boys. They deserve to stay together, but once again this is no holiday!”