Manchester United legend Gary Neville has described the coming weeks as "critical" in striker Romelu Lukaku's Old Trafford career.
The 24-year-old, who joined the Red Devils from Everton for an initial fee of £75m in the summer, has scored just once since the end of September.
Lukaku's powerful strike against Newcastle United 12 days ago is all he has to show in terms of goals in his last 11 outings, having previously netted 11 times in his first 10 games for the club.
However, Neville believes that the upcoming matches against Arsenal and Manchester City offer a good chance for the Belgium international to once again prove his worth for the Premier League title contenders.
"I don't think Jose Mourinho will be worried about Romelu Lukaku's lack of goals, but I think ultimately he's got two big games coming up," he told Sky Sports News. "He was brought in to score goals in the games which United were drawing last season. However, it is in the big matches where they now need him most. If there is a way to get at Arsenal and Manchester City then it is by really going at their defences.
"For a striker, it is all about your goals and unfortunately, people will always measure him by that, but away from the goals his contribution has to be big, to mess their centre-halves about. He's had his struggles but ultimately that was always going to happen at some point after his blistering start, but this is a critical stage of the season where he has to deliver.
"Lukaku gets more chances created for him but he's also under more pressure, so misses get scrutinised, and rightly so, but these are the games where he can silence his critics. Social media is never a measurement of real Manchester United fans and the fans in the ground. At Old Trafford, against Manchester City, they will be fully behind him."
Lukaku has been cleared to face Arsenal on Saturday evening after dodging Football Association action for kicking out at Brighton & Hove Albion defender Gaeten Bong last week.
Daniel Lewis
