MAN UNITED VS B LEVERKUSEN

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Venue: Old Trafford Date: Tuesday, 17 September Kick-off: 1945 BST

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MATCH STATS

Possession

50%

50%

0mins

Manchester United

Bayer Leverkusen

Shots

00

On target

00

Corners

00

Fouls

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England pair Danny Welbeck and Phil Jones are both doubtful for Manchester United's opening Champions League game against German side Bayer Leverkusen.

Striker Welbeck (knee) and defender Jones (ankle) both missed training on Monday ahead of the Old Trafford match.

Wayne Rooney will again wear a protective headband after a recent head wound, while Shinji Kagawa (flu) could figure after returning to training.

Key Leverkusen midfielder Lars Bender (hip) faces a late fitness test.

The Germany international missed his team's 3-1 weekend win against Bundesliga rivals Wolfsburg, as well as his nation's World Cup qualifiers against Austria and the Faroe Islands.

MATCH PREVIEW

United boss David Moyes says he is relishing fulfilling his dream of managing in the Champions League group stages for the first time.

The Scot, 50, led his former club Everton to the qualifying stage of Europe's top club competition in 2005-06, but the Toffees failed to reach the group stage after they were knocked out by Spanish side Villarreal.

"I've been excited about it ever since I've joined Manchester United," he said.

Analysis

Image of Phil McNulty

Phil McNulty

Chief football writer

"Moyes has yearned for another crack at the Champions League, not simply to right that wrong but also to prove his pedigree on the European stage after unfulfilling treks to foreign soil at Everton."

Read more from Phil on David Moyes' Champions League debut for Manchester United

"I've been there before with Everton - we didn't quite make the group stages but this is different. This is a club that's used to getting to the latter stages."

United are favourites to reach the knockout stage as Group A winners after being drawn alongside Leverkusen, Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk and Spanish side Real Sociedad.

"You used to be able to always pick out the group winners but in the last few years that has become more difficult," said Moyes.

"It is more unpredictable than it was. We've got a leading team from Germany, one from Spain and we go to Donetsk to play Shakhtar. It's a tough group."

Leverkusen finished third in the German top-flight last season, just one point behind runners-up Borussia Dortmund, to earn their spot in this season's Champions League.

Under the management of former Liverpool captain Sami Hyypia, they have won four of their first five league matches this term and are currently third behind Dortmund and Bayern Munich.

"I hope my players want to play football in Manchester and not just get autographs from Rooney," said the Finn, who is also making his Champions League coaching debut.