Confirmed: Manchester United receive a big blow as star striker is out of atletico madrid champions league clash as pick injury in training.

Veteran striker Edinson Cavani remains absent

 as interim manager Ralf Rangnick leads 

Manchester United to Atletico Madrid

 for their first Champions League 

knockout tie in three years.

Wednesday's last-16 first leg at the 

Wanda Metropolitano pits together 

two sides enduring challenging seasons

, with Diego Simeone's LaLiga champions

 stuttering during a poor title defence.

Atletico have produced the kind of 

Jekyll and Hyde displays that those 

watching United have become 

accustomed to, although Rangnick's 

side made it back-to-back wins with 

Sunday's thrilling 4-2 triumph at Leeds.

Another hostile atmosphere awaits the

 Red Devils on Wednesday, when 

United will be unable to draw on the 

experience of 35-year-old Uruguay 

forward Cavani for a fourth straight game.

'No, Edi will not be able to make the 

trip,' Rangnick said. 'He didn't train 

and he has not been training for the

 last couple of weeks, so he will not

 be part of the group.

'He has problems with his groin and

, as long as he does not feel able 

to fully sprint, it does not make sense 

to train him and to force him back 

into training.

'I think he's got enough experience 

to know by himself if he's fully 

available again.'

Cavani's continued absence is a 

blow as United prepare for their first 

Champions League last-16 tie since 

2019, when the Uruguayan was part 

of the Paris St Germain side stunned 

in jaw-dropping fashion.

They bowed out in the quarter-finals

 to Barcelona after away goals saw 

them through in France, but with that 

rule abolished Rangnick is focused on 

just building a solid foundation in the 

Spanish capital.

'In the Champions League you need to 

perform on the highest possible 

Level,' he said.

'Of course we had a game on Sunday

, a very physical one. Atletico played

 away at Osasuna on Saturday, so 

there might be a slight advantage 

with regard to recovery on their side.

'We obviously made sure that the 

players could recover in the last two 

days and maybe we will have some

 fresh legs on the pitch. We will see.

'We need to play tactically on a high 

level, physically. Mentally we need to 

be prepared for a very emotional, if 

not even hostile, atmosphere 

in their stadium.

'Some of our players will not 

be received with a red carpet, obviously.

'

This is what we are all aware of but

 I think we have enough experience in 

the team and on the other hand also 

enough talented young players. I think

 the mix of those two groups is perfect

 and we're looking forward to that game.

'That's why we are all here, why 

we love this ball game, in order 

to play in stadiums like (Wednesday

) and then in three weeks when we 

have the second leg to play at 

Old Trafford.

'(Wednesday) is about getting the 

best possible result. I don't think 

that the game and the fixture will be 

decided (on Wednesday). It will 

be decided in the second leg 

at Old Trafford.'

Among the players in for an interesting

 reception on Wednesday night are 

David De Gea - an Atletico academy

 graduate who left in 2011 and nearly

 joined rivals Real Madrid four years

 later - and Cristiano Ronaldo.

No player has appeared more in the

 Champions League than the 37-year-

old, who has five winners' medals to 

his name and been the scourge of 

Atletico time and time again down the years.

Bruno Fernandes would not be surprised

 to see his Portuguese compatriot shine

 once again, but the playmaker says 

the stage is set for others to make 

an impact in the knockout phase.

'Cristiano has won this competition 

many times,' said Fernandes, who 

believes United have 'more identity 

as a team' under Rangnick.

'Everyone knows in this kind of 

competition he has that smell for the

 goal, he has that smell for doing 

different things.

'But in the same way, we have Rapha (

Raphael Varane), who has won the 

Champions League four times and

 is a player capable to do it.

'But it is always the first time for 

someone that wins, so sometimes it's

 about someone (getting) more experience.

'

Sometimes it's about... someone 

experiences that for the first time 

because they are hungry to do 

something well, something good. 

They want to show it.

'When Cristiano won the first one, 

he probably was not the most influential

 player or had more experience in that

 competition (than others) and he 

won it anyway, and he helped the 

team win the Champions League.

'It's all about everyone sticking 

together doing the same things, 

have the same focus and obviously 

having players that can decide games 

for us in any moment is always helpful.

'Being Cristiano or another one, the

 most important for us is winning the

 game and going through this stage.'