Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger says he is on the verge of returning to full fitness after picking up a calf injury during the Premier League club’s pre-season tour of the Unites States.

Pep Guardiola, who managed the German international at Bayern Munich before his transfer, raised doubts over the 31-year-old’s fitness by claiming that the midfielder was never fully fit during the last three seasons.

“It’s fine. I had three or four days in America where I had this injury and it was not so good for my rhythm,” Schweinsteiger, who came on in the second half in United’s 1-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, told the club website.

“Now I feel much better and also the game was very important to play 30 minutes.

“The training sessions are very important for me, too. I’m getting better and I hope I will be 100 per cent fit in the next week.”

The World Cup winner said he was thrilled with the reception he received from the United fans at Old Trafford when he made his home debut against Spurs on Saturday.

“It was amazing, really. I was surprised and I have to say ‘thank you’ to all the supporters. It was a great feeling and yes, at the end, we won so it was a good day for us,” he said.

“This was something new on Saturday. It was great and a special day for me on Saturday.”

Schweinsteiger, who speaks fluent English, thanked his team-mates for helping him settle quickly at the Manchester club.

“It’s getting better and better. Everything is something new for me – a new step in my life – and I’m really looking forward to settling in more and more with my team-mates,” Schweinsteiger added.