Shinji Kagawa will not have expected anything to come easy when he joined Manchester United last summer, but having returned from injury over the holiday period to a team that has been winning in his absence, the forward will have to work overtime to establish himself at Old Trafford.

Kagawa completed 65 minutes of United's 2-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion on Dec. 29, marking an end to a two-month spell on the sidelines after a knee injury interrupted his promising start to life with the English giants. A substitute appearance against Wigan Athletic followed before a full 90-minute stint in last Saturday's F.A. Cup draw with West Ham United, but the 23-year-old will need more games under his belt before he can return to the level of performance that offered a glimpse of what he was capable of early on in the season.

Kagawa announced his arrival in the Premier League with a series of fine displays capped by goals against Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, suggesting the first Japanese player ever to appear for United would have little difficulty finding his feet after joining from Borussia Dortmund over the summer. Injuries have no respect for timing, however, and with United currently seven points clear at the top of the table thanks to an attack that has been firing on all cylinders while Kagawa watched from the stands, nailing down a regular place in the starting lineup now looks a much more difficult prospect.