Rojo Ready For 'Massive' Game Against CSKA

Marcos Rojo believes Manchester United can go far in this season’s Champions League – but must first focus on winning Tuesday’s key game against CSKA Moscow.

With both sides locked on four points in joint-second place after three games in Group B, Louis van Gaal’s side can take a significant step towards the knockout stages by claiming victory at Old Trafford.

Marcos Rojo is set to feature, having also played in the 1-1 draw a fortnight ago in Russia’s capital, a city familiar to the Argentinian from his short spell at CSKA’s rivals Spartak Moscow in 2011/12.

And the left-back, who has returned to full fitness after an injury-disrupted start to the season, is fully aware of the importance of the encounter.

In an exclusive interview with United Review, the official matchday programme, he said: “Tonight’s game is a massive one for us. It’s a must-win game and, if we get the victory, we’ll be in a great position for the remainder of the group stages.

“Of course we want to go as far as we can in the competition and I think we have the players to challenge any team in Europe. The first thing is to qualify, then we can see what happens after that.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Rojo discusses his strong recent form, describes his life in Manchester and reflects at length on his time in Russia four seasons ago, admitting that he found it hard to settle after uprooting from Argentina as a 20-year-old.

Before the game at CSKA’s Arena Khimki two weeks ago, Rojo was strongly defended by van Gaal and Wayne Rooney after a Russian journalist recalled the defender’s difficult period in Moscow.

“They’ve supported me a lot and I’m grateful to them for that,” Rojo added. “The manager and captain are always with me and they know the type of player and person that I am, so I thank them because they made a great gesture towards me.”