Victor Lindelof has admitted he is playing through a "lot of pain" ahead of Manchester United's clash with Leeds United.
Lindelof has been a fixture in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's line-up in the first half of the 2020-21 campaign, making 17 appearances across all competitions.
The Swede has started United's last nine Premier League outings, with his latest display coming in the 3-2 win away at Sheffield United on Thursday.
He provided the assist for Marcus Rashford to score his first goal of the night at Bramall Lane, sending through a beautifully weighted long-range pass which the England international brought down before firing into the net.
Lindelof will likely be in the team when the Red Devils play host to Leeds on Sunday, but the 26-year-old has now revealed he is dealing with a persistent back injury which has had very little chance to heal due to this season's tightened fixture list.
“I want to help this team win trophies – that’s why I play football. If the team needs me, I’m going to do my best to be there and try to perform at the highest level," the defender told The United Review. "Even if I have some pain, I still want to go out there and do my best.
“I’ve been having a lot of pain and I still have problems with it. I’m in every day trying to sort it out but the schedule is very, very tight so I’m just trying to keep it under control.
"It’s been difficult, particularly after games, but I’m trying to be as smart as possible with it when I’m playing, when I’m doing my recovery and having treatment.”
It has been suggested that Lindelof does not get enough credit for his performances alongside club-record signing Harry Maguire, who has been constantly under the spotlight since his £80 million ($108m) move from Leicester City in the summer of 2019.
The Sweden international is not concerned by the public's perception of him though, saying: “I think I’ve been performing well.
“It was strange at the beginning of the season because we only had 10 days off and the body and the mind were a bit tired, but after that, me, and also the team, have been performing much better – I’m pleased with that. The results have also got better with time. I’m just focused on the most important thing which is getting the result for the team.
“Regarding credit and stuff, that’s not important to me, I just want to help the team, and as long as my team-mates and the coaches trust me, that’s the best thing for me, it’s always been that.
“I don’t really think about anything else. I just try to go out there, do my best and hopefully I can help make my team-mates better as well.”