Uwe Rosler insists United are "well-prepared" for Saturday’s opening game against Burnley and believes his side "have nothing to lose and everything to win" due to the visitors’ recent Premier League experience.

The televised lunchtime kick-off will see Rosler take to the home dug-out for his first competitive game in charge, with a crowd in the late 20 thousands expected at what the head coach wants to be a “rocking” Elland Road.

“I feel like we are well-prepared and I think the players are full of confidence and optimism,” he said.

“It was important to have a good week – and by that I don’t just mean last Saturday (against Everton).

“We had an internal game on Wednesday and optimism is high. All I can ask from myself, my staff and my players is to be as well prepared as we can be.

“We have been very focused.”

Other than knee problems for Luke Murphy and Tommaso Bianchi, Rosler has been pleased to see his side come through a testing pre-season schedule largely unscathed.

“We kept the players on the pitch, which is very important with the small squad we have,” he said.

“We didn’t have many injuries and no soft tissue injuries. That is also credit to my staff and the medical staff with how they look after the players.

“I think we’re well prepared and now the real football starts. When you are well prepared, that means nothing will faze you.

“We purposely chose competitive teams (to play against in pre-season) where it would not be normal if we won the games.

“We accepted we might get beat but we pushed ourselves to the limit. We wanted to be exposed and for the players to deal with it in a manner that brings them forward. Now it’s Burnley.”

And the Clarets, back in the Championship after a solitary season in the Premier League, will provide Rosler’s men with a stern opening day test as they look to compete for a swift top-flight return.

But the United head coach also believes that could work in his favour.

“I like the fact that we are playing another top team,” Rosler said. “I wouldn’t be so comfortable for the first game going to Preston away, for example.

“I feel that having a home game, with a full house and playing a team that has just come down from the Premier League, is a fantastic opportunity for us to test ourselves as a group of young, emerging players.

“They are a Premier League club, they have a Premier League manager and they have Premier League resources.

“When you play against Burnley, you have nothing to lose and everything to win.

“Sean Dyche did a tremendous job winning promotion as an underdog, but I think Sean will be expecting to finish top six and probably top two.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to work and test ourselves against opposition like that.

“I’m not just saying it, I really think that starting against a top team takes a little bit of pressure off us.

“I think that will suit us and I really think that we have a chance of getting a result.”