Wayne Rooney ready for Real Madrid battle

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has insisted that he is ready for a "battle" with Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The Premier League leaders host the La Liga champions this week in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash, after sharing a 1-1 draw in the first leg.

The England forward has missed several matches through injury this season, but believes that he will reach the peak of his career very soon.

"The age I'm at now is the time when most players start to peak - from now and across the next four or five years. Hopefully, that will be the case and the team will benefit from that," said Rooney.

"I haven't played as many games as I normally would have at this point in the season and I do feel fresh and ready for that battle until the end of the season.

"It's been a bit of a stop-start season for me, with a couple of injuries, which has been a bit disappointing. I just want to keep myself fit until the end of the season now and play a part in as many games as I can to help the team be successful."

Rooney has started 16 Premier League games this term.