Berlin: Manchester United will be looking for the goals that have been so hard to come by this season when they travel to VfL Wolfsburg, on Tuesday, with their hopes of sealing qualification for the Champions League knockout stage still hanging in the balance.

All the talk among United supporters - raised on a tradition of exciting, uninhibited attacking football - is of the team's lack of goals under what they believe to be manager Louis van Gaal's sterile conservative approach.

Since winning 2-1 at home to Wolfsburg in September, United have scored only twice in three Champions League games. In the Premier League the record is five goals in the last six games.

United captain Wayne Rooney, who missed Saturday's goalless draw at home to West Ham with an ankle injury, will again be absent, but like Memphis Depay he has scored only two league goals this season. Anthony Martial, the young French prodigy has three and midfielder Juan Mata is top scorer with five.

France midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin has also not travelled to Germany because of a hip injury sustained in the 0-0 draw against West Ham.

Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia are all still absent.

United have taken a number of young players to Germany including Uruguayan defender Guillermo Varela, who made his debut as a substitute against West Ham, Nick Powell, Sean Goss and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.

United supporters have taken to chanting "attack, attack, attack" in almost every game and they will need goals with the team second in Group B on eight points, one behind leaders Wolfsburg with PSV Eindhoven, playing CSKA Moscow, on seven.

But manager Van Gaal is insistent the problem will not last.

"The goals are coming, that is my strong belief," he said after two points dropped against West Ham United left them fourth in the table.

"We created a lot of chances but to score you need not only composure but a lot of luck. So I'm not worried."

He did admit, however, that winning the Champions League is not realistic this season, adding: "Maybe next year, when we strengthen our selection again."

Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger can provide the leadership Manchester United need against Wolfsburg as they seek to qualify for the knockout stages, manager Louis Van Gaal has said.

United need to at least match PSV Eindhoven's result at home to CSKA Moscow to progress. Meanwhile, a victory over CSKA Moscow at home, will put the 1988 European champions PSV through to the knockout phase for the first time since the 2006-07 season, when Liverpool eliminated them at the quarter-final stage. No club from the Netherlands has been to the knockout phase since.

"The reason why we have bought Schweinsteiger is that he is a player who can lead or guide a team. That is important - not only his football qualities - but that he can lead and guide a team on the pitch," Van Gaal said.

"I believe that every match that he plays he can play better because until now we have not seen the best Schweinsteiger that I have seen at Bayern Munich, but he can guide the team."

Since qualifying for the Champions League via a playoff against Club Bruges, United have scored five goals in five games in the competition, and Schweinsteiger has called on his teammates to be more clinical, putting their struggles down to a question of attitude.

"The players are not scared in front of goal, no. It is all about the killer instinct. We have players who have the abilities but we need it in every game," he said.

"When you are a big striker like (Cristiano) Ronaldo, (Lionel) Messi and Thomas Muller, they are all the same. It is about attitude. You need the attitude that you want to score.

"The motivation is there for Tuesday. It is a very important match for us and I know how difficult it is at Wolfsburg.

"We have to find the right strategy."

For Wolfsburg, even a draw will be enough to secure a spot in the next round.

Their attacking midfielder Julian Draxler believes that beating United is not impossible. "If we play against them as we did in the second half against Dortmund then I am certain we can beat United," he said.

FIXTURES

Group A
PSG vs Shakhtar;Real Madrid vs Malmo

Group B
PSV Eindhoven vs CSKA; Wolfsburg vs United

Group C
Benfica vs Atletico Madrid; Galatasaray vs FC Astana

Group D
City vs Monchengladbach; Sevilla vs Juventus

(Reuters)