Zlatan Ibrahimovic 'prepared and ready' for Manchester derby

Image: Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he is 'ready' for the Manchester derby

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Saturday's Manchester derby will complete a career set of huge grudge matches.

Ibrahimovic will lead United's attack in a Sky Live cracker that brings a renewal of the rivalry managers Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola shared in Spain.

The Swede scored a winner for Guardiola's Barcelona in 2009 against a Real Madrid side that would later be managed by Mourinho, and his career has also taken in big derbies in Italy and the Netherlands.

Ibrahimovic and City's new manager famously failed to see eye-to-eye at Barca, and United's striker is itching for a crack at the Catalan's side and a first taste of a rivalry he compares to El Clasico.

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"For me, the big games are the ones that trigger you," said Ibrahimovic. "They're the games everyone speaks about.

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"I have played in many derby games, I've played in El Clasico, the Inter-Milan derby, Ajax and Feyenoord, which was the big one there, and PSG-Marseille. I have played in all of them, the only one I missed was this one.

Image: Ibrahimovic played under City manager Pep Guardiola at Barcelona

"This is coming on Saturday and I am very well prepared, confident and focused, and there is a lot of hard work behind that. We are prepared and we are ready. We just wait for the game now.

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"People are talking about it and build it up and the media are discussing the situations from the red side and the light-blue side and all the investments and transfers and the new coaches. It's a normal build-up.

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"For me, I've been through it and I know how it is. We are ready. Everyone came back from the national team break and we are back in action. The team is focused."

Ibrahimovic will be aiming to maintain his goal-a-game ratio at Old Trafford having scored three times in three Premier League appearances.

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