James Milner

James Milner says Newcastle United must find their mental strength if they are to beat Manchester United.

The Magpies host Sir Alex Ferguson's side on Saturday evening having not won in nine Barclays Premier League matches and having picked up only three points in the process.

That has left them in severe danger of being dragged into the fight for top-flight survival.

They have shown glimpses of good play under new manager Kevin Keegan but they have been unable to sustain it over 90 minutes.

Milner, who scored a stunning opening goal in a hard-fought 2-2 draw with United at St James' Park on New Year's Day 2007, knows just how tough a test his side faces this weekend, but also believes a two-week break from action could serve them well.

He said: "Manchester United is a big game for us and we have to rise to the occasion. It is all about how we are mentally as well. That is a big part of it.

"For instance at Villa, instead of us being 2-1 down, we were 4-1 down. Some of the time we have not really deserved it. It is about how we bounce back from conceding a goal. We need to be strong mentally.

"We know we need to get better, and that comes from hard work on the training field. Having a game every few days, you don't really get a chance to work on it.

"During this break, we have had a chance to assess things and to see where we are going wrong."