Eddie Howe says that recovery and team bonding are focus of Dubai trip

LIVERPOOL: Head coach Eddie Howe has talked about why he is taking his Newcastle United players on a second warm weather training trip to the Middle East.

The Magpies landed in Dubai on Friday before travelling to the Nad Al-Sheba Sports Complex, a renowned world-class training facility that recently hosted Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.

Newcastle United were lucky to get one trip, if any, under previous owner Mike Ashley.

But with the progressive nature and financial power of the new ownership model — headed up by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund — and the backing of Howe’s methods by those at the top, Newcastle are again getting some much-needed training time with the sun on their backs.

Explaining the nature of the trip,Howe said: “We will train, but we have no game planned currently — that doesn’t mean we won’t.

“But that’s not my focus. I’m obviously hugely disappointed by the Everton result.

“All of our injured players are coming with us. We’re trying to build a spirit and unity that we feel will be hugely important for the remaining games. All the players will go.”

That includes Jonjo Shelvey, who has missed Newcastle’s last two Premier League encounters, and Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson, who are more long-term absentees.

Fellow forward Allan Saint-Maximin will no doubt benefit from some time to train with the first-team group, after four weeks of illness and injury.

“Maxi wasn’t close to starting,” Howe said of the player at Goodison.

“He’s had two training sessions in four weeks and when you have an intense spell of games like we had, it’s very difficult to get that load into him that he needs.

“The trouble is, if you start him without the base, there is a very high chance he’ll get injured. We