Chris Smalling has made the brave move of joining the Twitter-sphere , just days before his side meets rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford . The 25-year-old is very much a key part of Manchester United 's defence under Louis van Gaal and is quickly establishing himself as one of the best defenders in the country . Smalling , appeared to be enjoying a barbecue with some friends and his girlfriend Sam Cooke , as he posted his first photo captioned , 'BBQ Time # biggreenegg . ' Chris Smalling posted this photo of himself and girlfriend Sam Cooke on his newly opened Twitter . In a game , neither side can afford to lose , United would be able to extend their lead to four points as they continue to chase down Arsenal for the second automatic Champions League qualification place . As United continue to find their good form , Manuel Pellegrini 's side are struggling and Monday 's defeat to Crystal Palace was damning for morale , as they look to stop their slide down the table . Smalling , who missed the win over Aston Villa , could return for United as they look to cement their place in the Champions League . The 25-year-old is establishing himself as one of the best centre backs in England and continues to impress . His United team-mate Adnan Januzaj has also joined the social networking site and said : 'Hi Twitter ! This is my official account looking forward to sharing with you all # MUFC # FirstTweet . ' The winger has found game time under Louis van Gaal hard to come by and could choose to leave the club in the summer in search of first-team football . Januzaj burst onto the scene last season under David Moyes but struggles to fit into the Dutchman 's style of play and has found himself on the fringes . Adnan Januzaj joined Twitter on Friday and just days before their crucial clash with Manchester City . The Belgian international has found his game time limited this season under new boss Louis van Gaal .
Chris Smalling joins Twitter just days before the Manchester derby . The 25-year-old posted a photo of himself and his girlfriend Sam Cooke . Smalling could return for the clash after missing the win over Aston Villa . READ : Manchester United players train ahead of Sunday 's big derby . CLICK HERE for all the latest Manchester United 's .