Having scored the Old Trafford outfit's opening goal of the campaign against Newcastle last weekend, the Scotland international is keen to build on his own impressive start.

"It might work to my advantage that so many players are out of the team," he suggests.

"We have a lot of players out just now - and when we are short of numbers, you need to take your opportunities.

"There is so much quality in the squad we all know if you do not perform the manager will have you straight out of the team.

"But, as we have seen plenty of times before, the manager will stick by you if you do the job he needs."