Manchester United interim head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy has said that the Red Devils "can and have to perform better", as he prepares the team for Sunday's Premier League clash with Chelsea.

Van Nistelrooy was appointed interim manager of Man United earlier this week after Erik ten Hag's departure, and the club's former striker led the team to a 5-2 success over Leicester City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night.

The 48-year-old is now preparing to lead the Red Devils into this weekend's league game against Chelsea, and he has accepted that huge improvements need to be made due to the team's struggles this term.

"I think in the end it's also clear in football that it's the results. Erik also said [that]. As you say, in pre-season, we had the new style, we were all very positive and working very hard to bring the club forward," Van Nistelrooy told reporters.

"There's also things you can't explain sometimes. The Brighton [& Hove Albion] goal we scored, Garna [Alejandro Garnacho] via Josh [Joshua Zirkzee] in. There's been so many games where we felt we could get a better result for the way we played. I'm talking [Crystal] Palace, I'm talking West Ham [United], talking Fenerbahce, talking Porto. But in the end we also know it's about results this game and that's part of our jobs.

Van Nistelrooy is set to manage Man United's next three matches

"I'm thinking about preparing the team for Leicester, which we did, it was a difficult situation we were in to get a result against Leicester. Same today, here to build and evaluate the game, focus on Chelsea on Sunday.

"That's the process that I'm in. With the short term I'm in this position I'm only thinking in one thing, and that's doing the best we can for every game coming up and that's a big one against Chelsea on Sunday.

"I think what's important and the most important is the task is getting the maximum out of these players. I think it's a great challenge to show and push ourselves as staff and players to that level.

"Over a Premiership season and also all the other games we're going to play until the end of May will give us a very good and clear picture where the club is at this moment and what the process will be towards the next season and the seasons to come.

"It's a big challenge and I think everybody is convinced with this group of players that we can and have to perform better than we are at the moment. But obviously, it's very interesting to see over the course of 38-50 games, where we can end up."

What does the future hold for Van Nistelrooy?

Man United are expected to soon confirm the appointment of Sporting Lisbon's head coach Ruben Amorim as their new manager, but the Portuguese is unlikely to arrive until the November international break.

As a result, Van Nistelrooy is set to lead the side for their next three games against Chelsea, PAOK and Leicester.

There is huge uncertainty surrounding his future beyond that, with Amorim expected to bring in his own staff, but Van Nistelrooy has suggested that he is fully expecting to stay at the club as an assistant manager under a new head coach.

Man Untied are currently 14th in the Premier League table, having picked up just 11 points from their opening nine matches of the season courtesy of a record of three wins, two draws and four defeats.