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Angel Di Maria has admitted the next month of fixtures will make or break Manchester United’s season.

United face Tottenham on Saturday, followed by Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea in games that will likely determine whether or not they make the top four and the coveted Champions League prize.

Di Maria will miss the clash with Spurs at Old Trafford following his dismissal in United’s FA Cup defeat to Arsenal for grabbing at ref Michael Oliver, to earn a second yellow card.

But United’s record £59.7million signing underlined the significance of their next five games by conceding they will ultimately determine whether their season is a success or failure.

(Image: Getty)

“We are all aware that a number of big games are just around the corner for ourselves and the season will be decided by these fixtures,” said Di Maria.

“We know all about these upcoming games and we have been thinking and talking about them for quite some time now.

“Since the time that the fixtures for the second half of the season came out, we’ve known that everything would be at stake over this final period.

“Everyone at the club is 100 per cent confident, we know that we want to get back into the Champions League and that we want to be fighting it out.

“We will battle hard right to the end of the season. From what I know of the club, United always fight right to the end, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Di Maria admitted United remain in a period of transition under boss Louis van Gaal, but claimed they are making progress under the Dutchman and the new arrivals, like him, need time to gel.

“I think that having so many new faces arriving and then playing in the first-team, it’s never easy for them to settle in immediately alongside the established players who have been here a while,” said Di Maria.

“It takes time for a team to really hit the heights. We’ve picked up some big results along the way, we’re near the top of the league and we shouldn’t be too downbeat because we’ve achieved quite a lot so far.”

(Image: Michael Regan)

Di Maria has struggled to justify his record-breaking fee since joining from Real Madrid, his on-field problems compounded by an attempted break-in at his family home in Cheshire, which has seen them move out of the property.

But the Argentina World Cup star denied he and his family were unsettled in England and insisted he was not burdened by the pressure of United’s iconic No.7 shirt, worn in the past by George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I feel really good here,” said Di Maria. “A lot of the players speak Spanish and that was very important for me when I arrived here.

“I’ve chatted to David De Gea about this and he said that when he got here there was no-one who spoke it apart from Antonio Valencia and Rafael.

“Apart from those two, the majority spoke English and that made it difficult. However, I was lucky enough to come here when there were a lot of Spanish speakers and that makes it much, much easier and helps you, at least through the first year.”

(Image: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Di Maria, speaking to United Review, said: “I’m genuinely happy to be wearing the No.7 shirt. I know that some really great players have worn it in the past for Manchester United.

“Top, top players if you like. I was really excited to wear that number, as it’s the one I wear for Argentina and things have always gone really well for me.

“That’s one reason I chose the number and also because so many great players have worn it before me. I hope that I can perform well and that the No.7 shirt can keep its privileged place, high in the history of Manchester United.”