Manchester United have opened the doors to their Carrington training headquarters so that Barnsley may prepare for their FA Cup sixth-round clash with Manchester City.

The Tykes’ hotel was booked, they were in the area after their 1-1 stalemate with Burnley on Tuesday night – but where they were going to prepare was yet to be sorted.

With one of the club’s biggest games of the decade looming, they certainly hit the jackpot when Sir Alex Ferguson gave the green light for them to hijack the Red Devils’ training facilities.

Advantage

Barnsley boss David Flitcroft has taken full advantage of the gesture – putting his side through the paces with the lavish equipment.

In what is a helping hand for Barnsley, may be construed as a slap in the face for Manchester City.

But after the sky blues allowed Real Madrid to use their Etihad facilities ahead of the Spanish giants’ Champions League clash with Manchester United, it’s no wonder Sir Alex has done the same.

With the best facilities on hand, Flitcroft is hoping his side can give the champions a run for their oil-rich money.

“The key thing is making sure our energy levels are up,” he said, as reported by Sky Sports.

“So we have been recovering from our recent exertions and doing all the right things to get them back up to A-class.

“Whatever has been thrown at us in the League or Cup, we have been able to compete, and that is the intention today.

Challenge

“City are elite in every aspect, so it will be a challenge.”

He continued: “In fact, we watched them against Chelsea and they are breathtaking.

“It is a fixture that will hit you with fear if you let it, but we aim to give it a go.”