The Reds organised two games against the Championship promotion hopefuls, one starting at 13:00 BST before another two hours later. The United teams arrived at different times in kit, in order to avoid using the changing rooms, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer selected mixed sides, which would not have provided any strong clues on the starting line-up for the Spurs clash.
Of course, Old Trafford was largely empty, as will be the case for the behind-closed-doors fixtures in the top flight, and there were other changes with the balls being disinfected and water breaks taken during the play.
Some players from each side featured in both matches but there was the opportunity to get plenty of game-time into the legs of the squad, with two 90-minute matches perfect for increasing sharpness.