Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says he will use the Community Shield to improve his players' fitness.

"It's always a game we never quite use as a do-or-die thing, we use it as a barometer for fitness," said Ferguson.

"At this particular time, we are not in the best position fitness-wise but it doesn't concern me unduly.

"There is a great quality in the squad and a great enthusiasm. A lot of them are exhilarated by winning the European Cup last season."

The defending Premier League champions will be captained by Gary Neville, who is making only his second competitive appearance since breaking his ankle in March 2007.

The England right-back sustained a calf strain in training earlier this week but Ferguson believes Neville and midfielder Michael Carrick, who contracted a bug in Nigeria, need to play ahead of the opening Premier League game against Newcastle next week.

"They need some minutes on the clock before the start of the season," added the Scot, who will be making his 12th Community Shield appearance in 16 years.

"The Community Shield is a prestigious match but I have used players in it who were not quite fit and we are more or less in the same situation again."

United will be without the talents of the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, who is recovering from ankle surgery, while United's team has been further depleted by pre-season injuries to Owen Hargreaves, Ben Foster, Louis Saha and Park Ji-Sung.

On Portsmouth, Ferguson continued: "Portsmouth are always a difficult team to play against.

"They had a great season last year and now Harry [Redknapp] has brought Crouch into the squad, the partnership of Crouch and Defoe will be a handful for anyone now but hopefully we can cope with that."

Crouch, who scored the winner for Liverpool in the 2006 Community Shield against Chelsea, described the season's traditional curtain-raiser as a "fantastic occasion".

"Sunday is going to be a really difficult match, but we will be fit and ready and hopefully we will give them a good game," said the £11million England striker. "It's the first game of the season and all the new signings are out."

Portsmouth assistant Tony Adams admitted he would relish beating United at Wembley.

"Alex? He's outstanding. The way he consistently produces great teams and has developed players as well as bought them, I have the utmost respect for him," said the former Arsenal and England captain.

"He is a great man at a great club but there is just something about him and them that I love beating.

"If I'm honest, I think I love beating them more than I would love beating even Arsenal. It's just something that's there - just like Alex always wants to beat Liverpool, maybe. "