Federico Macheda admits his loan spell at Queen's Park Rangers could be his last chance to convince Sir Alex Ferguson that he is worth keeping on at Manchester United. Macheda is at Loftus Road until the end of the season, after which he is likely to decide whether he needs to give up on his ambition of becoming a United regular.

The 20-year-old Italian striker burst on to the scene in April 2009 when he scored an injury-time winner against Aston Villa on his Premier League debut. But since then injury and loss of form have meant his opportunities at Old Trafford have been limited. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Sampdoria, where he made 14 appearances, before playing twice in the Carling Cup for United in this campaign.

Macheda, who is under contract at United until 2014, knows his spell at QPR could be make or break. He said: "Manchester United is a great club, but now I have to think about playing here and doing well here. We will see what to do at the end. I have had two loan spells already. I think after this one I will decide my future. Of course, everyone wants to play for Manchester United, it is a great club with a lot of history and a great manager."

Macheda is confident his team-mates in Manchester can revive their defence of the Premier League title. "United at the moment are struggling with injuries because half of the squad is injured," he added. "It is not a good moment for them.