Manchester United give team news and Edinson Cavani update ahead of Atletico Madrid tie

Edinson Cavani will be absent again for Manchester United's Champions League round-of-16 first leg against Atletico Madrid.

Cavani has missed the last three games with a groin injury and also had a stomach problem prior to Sunday's Premier League victory at Leeds.

"No, Edi will not be able to make the trip," interim United manager Ralf Rangnick confirmed. "He didn't train, he has not been training the last couple of weeks, so he won't be part of the group.

"He has problems with his groin and as long as he does not feel able to fully sprint, it doesn't make sense to train him and to force him back into training. He's got enough experience by himself to know when he's fully available again."

United went out of the Champions League at the group stage last season and have only reached the quarter-finals twice since they lost to Barcelona in the 2011 final at Wembley.

Atletico are Spanish champions but fifth in La Liga and lost at home to basement side Levante last week. With United four points clear in fourth in the Premier League and little chance of winning the Champions League, there have been some suggestions they might have to prioritise their domestic form, but Rangnick dismissed the notion the Champions League could be a distraction.

"No, the Champions League can never be a distraction, that's why the team qualified and was desperate to qualify for this season's Champions League," Rangnick stressed. "And if you want to qualify for next season's Champions League how can it be a distraction?

"This is why we're playing here and working for this club, we want to play Champions League and we are playing against one of the best teams in Europe tomorrow and want to show everybody we want to beat this team. Maybe it's not the