Manchester United defender Alex Buttner not aware of 6-1 hammering at hands of Manchester City

Summer signing was not aware of result when he agreed to join

Manchester United defender Alex Buttner is alone in knowing nothing of the Red Devils' six-goal massacre by Manchester City last season.

Despite the seismic nature of the Old Trafford encounter in October last year, Buttner was not aware of it when he agreed to join United from Vitesse Arnhem this summer.

And it is a measure of the focus United are giving to Sunday's first clash of this campaign between the two most obvious Premier League title challengers, that no-one has bothered to mention it.

"I don't know about this game," said Buttner, when asked about the shock reverse.

"I was not here and no-one has spoken about it. It won't happen again."

Buttner will be amongst those who will step down from last night's 1-0 Champions League defeat by CFR Cluj, with Patrice Evra certain to return.

Even with Sir Alex Ferguson's defensive options swollen by the availability of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, it is not entirely beyond reason to think Buttner might get a place on the substitutes' bench for what he accepts would be the biggest game of his entire career.

"I know games like Sunday are very important for the club and supporters," he said.

"I do know there was one goal in the game at City last season, and that is why they were champions.

"If we want to be the champions this season we will have to win this game.

"We will do everything in our power to do this."

Buttner made the sixth appearance of his Old Trafford career last night, suffering his third defeat on the trot after previous reverses at Chelsea in the Capital One Cup and Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Not that the 23-year-old is too concerned, believing he did well against Cluj last night.

"I played a good game," he said.

"I put a lot of crosses in but we have to score more goals.

"But we all know the important game is the next one - City away - we have to focus on that now."

PA