Wayne Rooney is urging his team-mates to be fully focused on United's one last shot at reaching the Champions League last 16 when Benfica visit Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

The Reds are flying high in the Premiership, with the win over Middlesbrough on Saturday taking Sir Alex Ferguson's side six points clear of second-placed Chelsea.

But, having won the first three games in Group F of the Champions League, the Reds have missed two opportunities, against Copenhagen and Celtic, to tie up qualification to the next stages.

Defeat against the Portuguese side in the final match of the group stages would see a repeat of last season's disappointing early exit, something Rooney says the players are determined not to see happen again this term.

“It’s a really big night for us,” he told MUTV. "Everyone at the club realises how important this match is to United.

“We have to stay focues and getting rest after Saturday is important because we need to be ready for the game.”

Failing to qualify and finishing third is not a thought worth contemplating, not least for the disappointment of exiting the Champions League. United enter into the UEFA Cup, where