GARY O’Neil says he will “have an opinion” on how Cherries should approach the World Cup break, despite his future at the club remaining uncertain.

Cherries have just three fixtures remaining, before the Premier League takes a six-week pause to accommodate the winter World Cup in Qatar.

Following the home clash with Everton on November 12, Cherries will then have no league game again until travelling to Chelsea on December 27.

O’Neil remains only in interim charge of the club, and is set to take the reins for the 10th time when Cherries head to Elland Road to face Leeds United tomorrow (3pm).

With American billionaire Bill Foley’s takeover expected to be ratified in the coming weeks, O’Neil’s role or future at the club remains up the air.

Many Premier League clubs have begun announcing plans either for winter friendlies or trips away during the upcoming break, but as yet nothing has been confirmed by Cherries.

Asked how aware he is of what plans Cherries have during the World Cup break, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “There is a unique situation. It does give you an opportunity to firstly give the boys a break after a busy schedule and then gives you an opportunity to do some real good work.

“Sort of a mini pre-season type spell, where you can get some of the injured lads back, where you can do some real work on fitness and what you are as a team.

“So it is a unique situation, but probably similar to a pre-season really.”

Asked how involved he himself has been in any of that planning, O’Neil added: “I think the planning for during the break is definitely not as detailed or as important as what is going on right now in what I’m doing.

“So my focus is purely on Leeds. But around what we need to do in the break, I will obviously have an opinion on what should be done, what shouldn’t be done, what we need to work on, what we don’t need to work on.”

There has been a lot of talk this week surrounding players picking up injuries which will subsequently rule them out of contention for the World Cup, with Ben Chilwell and Timo Werner among the latest expected to miss the competition.

Cherries have four players with realistic ambitions of heading away to Qatar in Wales duo Chris Mepham and Kieffer Moore, Philip Billing with Denmark and Argentina international Marcos Senesi.

Asked if he has sensed any concern around any of his players potentially picking up an injury ahead of the upcoming tournament, O’Neil said: “I wouldn’t have thought so.

“It wouldn’t have ever entered my mind. My mind would’ve been we need to go and beat Leeds.

“I would’ve thought the lads would be exactly the same.

“I think if you spoke to Chris Mepham and Kieffer Moore, they would be desperate to go and get a result at Leeds.

“Of course it’s great that they have a World Cup coming up, but our focus is purely on the next game.”