Manchester United assistant manager Ryan Giggs says the moment has arrived for Louis van Gaal's revamped team to confirm they are ready to mix it with the elite clubs in English football once again.
Radamel Falcao, Daley Blind and Angel di Maria are among the star names added to the United squad since Van Gaal's arrival at the club and Giggs hopes their presence will transform the team's fortunes against the Premier League big-hitters.
United have yet to face a side that finished in the top four of last season's title race, but games against league leaders Chelsea and champions Manchester City will be on their agenda following this weekend's trip to face West Bromwich Albion.
"These are the games you want to be involved in and play in and they will be a test," Giggs told the club's official website.
"Chelsea have probably been the standout team so far, with City just behind them and we want to be up there testing ourselves against those teams. We feel that we do belong up there but we perhaps haven't shown it consistently this season.
"We've shown glimpses over the last few weeks and hopefully we'll have a lot of players coming back for those games. The form has slowly begun to get better and better and we want to hit form going into those matches."
Giggs went on to suggest his coaching credentials will be bolstered by his tenure working alongside Dutch coach Van Gaal at Old Trafford this season, as he looks to his future and a possible move into management.
"It's a great experience for me to work under such a top manager who has such a good track record," he added. "I'm really enjoying it and the manager has been really good with me.
"I'm doing as much as I can to make sure we're in form and ready for each game. A lot of work goes into that and we're slowly seeing the benefits of it."