England's Phil Jones is ready to put injuries behind him as 2012 draws to a close

Phil Jones is ready to put his injury frustrations behind him and is aiming for a memorable 2013.

The England and Manchester United star missed the start of this season after a combination of back and knee injuries, but is now back to fitness and in Sir Alex Ferguson's squad.

And the 20-year-old admits that his spell on the sidelines has been another part of the learning curve in his short career so far.

He said: "You have to accept that injuries are part of football.

"It was frustrating that I got back from one injury and then on my first or second day back in training I did my knee.

"I thought I had hit rock bottom.

"It's not a nice feeling to be injured but you've got to keep grinding it out and doing your work in the gym."

Now United are going into the busy Christmas period with a commanding lead in the Premier League table.

And the former Blackburn Rovers ace is hoping they can maintain their form as they head towards the second half of the season.

"The manager talks a lot about the Christmas period being one of the toughest spells of the Premier League season and that to be in a strong position at the turn of the year is vital," said Jones.

"We've put ourselves in a good position but we want to make the most of it so we need to keep it going."