Town manager Roy Keane is giving his players Christmas Day off ahead of the busy programme of festive fixtures which see them play four games in nine days. The Blues boss says he trusts his players not to overindulge ahead of Boxing Day’s home game against Watford.
Keane said: "We’re doing nothing with the players on Christmas Day, they’re having a day off. We’re training in the next few days, but we gave them last Christmas Day off as well.
"You can’t babysit these boys, they’re at home. It won’t be about keeping off the drink, it’ll be what they’re eating, particularly late into the evening and getting a decent night’s sleep.
"You’ve just got to trust the players and hopefully they’ll appreciate being at home with their families, particularly the lads who have got younger kids.
"We shouldn’t forget what Christmas is all about, it’s supposed to be enjoyed and celebrated and the players will do that. They’ll train today [Thursday] and Friday, they won’t be slacking off on that side of it and we’ll go through all the work we can do for the Watford game."
Keane says a nutritionist makes regular visits to Playford Road to advise the squad regarding their diet and was in on Thursday: "There’s somebody in there today chatting with the players. We remind about looking after the players all the time themselves not just at Christmas.
"Christmas dinner’s fine, you’re having that about two or three o’clock. What we don’t want them having is turkey sandwiches late into the evening.
"I wouldn’t begrudge them their Christmas dinner, it’s more about how many selection boxes they might possibly eat! The dinner’s fine, it’s what you have afterwards. "Did I ever eat something or drink something I shouldn’t have? Maybe so, I don’t remember. My memory’s going!”