Manchester United's Herrera insists he is a 'team player' after making first Premier League start

Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera says he is ready to play when called upon after making his first start in the Premier League this season in the 2-2 draw at Stoke City.

The Spanish midfielder has seen limited first-team action thus far in the new season, with summer arrival Nemanja Matic being preferred by manager Jose Mourinho as Paul Pogba's midfield partner.

The 28-year-old played 71 minutes of the draw against Stoke before he was replaced by Anthony Martial.

Herrera insisted that he was not concerned by the lack of playing time and that he was ready to do a job for the team when needed.

"I am always ready to play," he was quoted as saying by Sky Sports. "I always say the same.

"I am a team player and when the manager needs me, I will be there and that's it. In football, there are no surprises."

United make their return to the Champions League after a near two-year absence with a home encounter against Basel on 12 September, and Herrera insisted that he and his teammates were determined to do well in the competition.

"We are ready but we have to respect every opponent and realise where we have come from," the former Athletic Bilbao midfielder said.

"We are a big club and maybe the biggest in the world, but we were not in the Champions League last season and we have to take it step by step.

"First aim we have is Basel. We cannot think of winning the Champions League now, we have to take it one step at a time.

"We want to fight for every title. Last season we won three which wasn't bad for the club, but we did not fight for the Premier League and we were not in the Champions League, so we have to be humble and take it step by step."

United are top of the Premier League table by virtue of their superior goal difference compared to second-placed Manchester City.