Manchester United lost to Premier League relegation candidates in behind-closed-doors friendly on Wednesday

Erik ten Hag had seemingly planned for Manchester United to make use of their two-week-long break between fixtures by playing a friendly.

The Red Devils return to action this Sunday when they travel to face Newport County in the fourth round of the FA Cup. It comes a fortnight after their 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, which marked their first Premier League outing of the calendar year.

Numerous players had made the most of their time off by jetting off to soak up some sun away from the gloomy and bitter Manchester conditions, however, they were all spotted back at Carrington on Tuesday undergoing preparations for the weekend.

Reds taste defeat in mid-week test

Today, they took on Burnley in a behind-closed-doors friendly – as per journalist Fredrik A. Filtvedt – and oversaw a defeat to the 19th-placed side.

The scoreline and squad lists are currently unknown, although Ten Hag may have utilised the likes of Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Casemiro, who are all returning from long-term injuries.