Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre feels the addition of Alexander Buttner will inspire skipper Patrice Evra.

Silvestre, 35, is currently training at Carrington.

"I only saw the highlights of the game when Alex started and scored [against Wigan Athletic]. It doesn't get better than starting at Old Trafford and scoring a goal," said Silvestre.

"Patrice has been there and has been solid in this role, but there hasn't been any cover for him so he has played a lot of games for United and France. That has demanded a lot of Patrice and it is important to keep the players on their toes and to have fresh legs. There are so many games so you need to rotate at some point. Especially because United full backs do not just sit back and defend, they go and attack and provide width too."