United £20m Signing Will Prove His Worth

Phil Jones has insisted that Manchester United can handle the pressure associated with having their backs against the wall in the Champions League tonight, with the Red Devils desperate for a win to shore up qualification for the next round and keep the fight alive for top spot in their group.

Jones was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson early in the transfer window, for a fee believed to be around £20 million. And the 19 year old scored his first goal for the side at the weekend, taking United to a 1-0 win over Aston Villa as they build pressure on title leaders Manchester City.

And Jones believes that while the pressure is at an all-time high for United to deliver both domestically and abroad, that is when he plays at his best.

"It [pressure] does bring the best out of me," he said. "As a group of players we thrive on it.

"Pressure comes with every game. We are at a massive club so we are used to it.

"Tonight is no different. We have prepared right and hopefully we will get the three points."

Sir Alex Ferguson also believes that United have what it takes to go through to the next round of the Champions League, with the manager telling reporters: "We have to rely on the experience of the last few years away from home," he said. "That's is the record we're taking into the game.

"That record helps us, there's no question about that. Hopefully that will apply itself in this game.

"I don't think the pressure will affect us, particularly if you look at the number of big games these players play in.

"Every season for the last few years these players have been involved in finals, semi-finals and quarter-finals, as well as big games in the Premier League.

"So they have that experience of playing in big games all the time and this is exactly the same situation. It's another big game for them."

United need to draw with Basel to qualify for the last 16, but if they win, they could push Benfica for first spot, if the Portuguese club don't defeat Otelul Galati convincingly enough.