Tony Mowbray will give his Sunderland squad Christmas Day off - insisting experience has shown him that players repay the gesture 'in spades' when the Boxing Day fixtures come around. The Black Cats face Mowbray's former club Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day in a lunchtime kick-off at the Stadium of Light, with the game shown live on Sky.
Traditionally, players reported for a light training session on Christmas Day ahead of the Boxing Day fixtures, but Mowbray is not a fan of that approach and instead prefers to let his teams stay at home with their families. Sunderland have already completed the majority of their preparations for Monday's game against Rovers and will put the finishing touches to it tomorrow, Christmas Eve, before taking the day off and returning on matchday.
"We won't be training on Christmas Day," said Mowbray. "It's not to the detriment of the football club, I've always felt that family comes first and then football.
READ MORE: Elliot Embleton could return for Sunderland before the end of the season
"Players are human beings - men - so they should spend their Christmas Day with their families. They know to be mindful, not to stuff themselves [with food] because they have a game at 12:30pm on Boxing Day, but they can get up, be with their family, do the Christmas thing with the kids if they have them, open the presents and what have you.
"I think they give it back to you in spades. They understand it is a human decision - not necessarily the professional decision - but over years and years and years of experience, I see the energy and the drive that players bring if you give them Christmas Day at home knowing they have a game the next day.
"We've done all the prep work today, we'll finish it tomorrow, then they can have Christmas at home and hopefully come in and run their socks off on Boxing Day."
It is a case of swings and roundabouts for the players, however, with Sunderland due to spend four nights in the North-West next week as they prepare for back-to-back away games at Wigan Athletic on Thursday evening followed by a New Year's Day trip to Blackpool. They will travel across the Pennines on Wedensday on the eve of the Wigan game and will then stay in the North-West and use Manchester United's training facilities to prepare for the visit to Bloomfield Road a week on Sunday.
READ NEXT:
- Corry Evans highlights Ross Stewart's Sunderland importance ahead of January window
- Tony Mowbray on Sunderland's mixed fortunes as injuries continue to hamper his side
- Sunderland on similar journey to Blackburn Rovers - and making up ground says Tony Mowbray
- Sunderland to use Manchester United's training base to prepare for Lancashire double-header
- Tony Mowbray makes his feelings clear on Sunderland playmaker Alex Pritchard
