Ashley Young wants Manchester United to beat Manchester City in Sunday’s 169th derby to “put right” a sequence of four straight defeats to the champions.

United, who could be boosted by the return of Robin van Persie after an ankle injury, last defeated City in December 2012, winning 3-2 away. Since then, City have won 2-1, 4-1, 3-0 and 1-0.

Yet United will host Manuel Pellegrini’s team on Sunday in third place on 62 points, one better than the visitors and Young is clear the losing sequence to their fierce rivals must be halted. “Obviously, you want to put it right,” he said. “That’s the first time I have heard that they have won the last four. We just want to keep the momentum we have shown, and the good positive play we have shown, especially in the last few games. We said that going into the Tottenham game it was going to be important to get wins against Tottenham and Liverpool, and we have City and Chelsea coming up and Villa in between.

“The derby is a big one again – it will be another massive game. We know it will be tough but as long as we can play the way we have shown, especially in the last few games, and add to that, it’s going to be a great game and hopefully we will get the three points.”

Each club has seven matches to play, starting with Sunday’s meeting, and Young is naturally keen for United to finish above their rivals. “Of course it would be nice but we are just taking each game as it comes,” he said. “That is what I have said for weeks and months, that we will take each game as it comes. It is obviously going to be another tough one against City but we will prepare as well as we can do all week as we always do.”

Van Persie has not featured since the last time United lost in the Premier League, the 2-1 defeat at Swansea City on 21 February. The Dutchman has once more endured an injury-blighted campaign to follow last term’s and has scored only 10 times for the club.

On Wednesday afternoon Van Persie indicated he was available again by tweeting: “Back to training with the group today. Was a great session. Happy to be fit and able to play again. Looking forward to my next game!”

However, given that Louis van Gaal said recently he doubted the striker would be available for the derby, and that the manager prefers any player to have a full week’s training back with the main squad, Van Persie’s participation on Sunday may still be in the balance.