Smalling speaks ahead of 'important' Spurs game

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has said that his side's game against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday is an important one.

Jose Mourinho's side are on the back of a 3-2 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion and are looking for a win reduce the tension surrounding the team.

"This is a good game for us to have," he said, manutd.com reports. "When you lose a game, the next one is more important than ever. The fact that it’s a big game at Old Trafford, that’s when the big players rise to the occasion. We’re determined to be ready.”

After being left out of England's World Cup campaign, Smalling has started this season on a low, failing to appear in either of United's two opening fixtures. He made 29 Premier League appearances for Manchester United last season, scoring 4 goals.

With Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof failing to impress against Brighton, it remains to be seen if Smalling will feature tonight in a bid to correct the frailties in the United defence.