It is a little too early in the season for must-win games, but Darren Fletcher, the Manchester United midfield player, believes it is imperative that the European champions hit top form at Stamford Bridge on Sunday if they are not to lose touch with the front-runners in the Barclays Premier League and Chelsea, in particular.

United have won just one match in all competitions this season, after drawing 0-0 at home to Villarreal in their opening Champions League game on Wednesday, and defeat on Sunday would leave them nine points adrift of Chelsea, albeit having played one game fewer. Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, has played down concerns about the team's form, but Fletcher, one of the more politically correct members of the Old Trafford squad, has suggested that they cannot afford to fall any farther behind.

“Sunday is a massive game after losing to Liverpool,” Fletcher said. “It is important we don't lose too much ground in the Premiership. It has to happen soon or we will have a massive task. We are going to be so many points behind, you would reach the stage where you cannot afford to lose any games. You don't want that this early because the Premier League is a tough league. We have to get back on track against Chelsea. There is no bigger game to do that.”

It is just as well Cristiano Ronaldo is fit again after ankle surgery, having played for 28 minutes as a substitute against Villarreal, and that Dimitar Berbatov is expected to play after missing Wednesday's match with a knee injury. Nemanja Vidic misses out through suspension, with Gary Neville likely to start a Premier League match for the first time in 18 months and Wes Brown moving to centre half. But it is Ronaldo's return that is the talk of the Old Trafford dressing-room.

“Ronaldo is the best player in the world and any team would miss him,” Fletcher said. “We are just glad to have him back. Hopefully, he can kick-start our season, get the goals and create chances for us.”