Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has urged Sir Alex Ferguson not to rest him for Monday night's FA Cup tie against Reading.

Many of the Red Devils' first-team stars are expected to sit out as the Champions League clash with Real Madrid takes priority.

The Dutchman played 90 minutes in Wednesday's 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu, but said that he would prefer to keep playing because sitting on the bench affects his form.

"I'm used to playing games every few days," the Daily Mail quotes Van Persie as saying. "I like it because I get into a rhythm.

"When you don't play for more than a week, it can take you 10-15 minutes to start because you're missing that rhythm. I prefer to keep going, to keep playing game after game.

"I love the buzz, drama and excitement of the big games like Real Madrid. But I know that the smaller games are very important, too — they're the ones that make you champions. The way this season is going, it feels like it could be very special. And when you're at United every game is a big game."

The 29-year-old has scored 22 goals since joining from Arsenal in the summer.