OTTAWA — Canada's captain Martin Laurendeau says Britain will be a tough Davis Cup opponent even without Andy Murray.

Milos Raonic, Vasek Pospisil, Daniel Nestor and Denis Shapovalov are the host country's lineup announced Tuesday for a World Group first-round tie Feb. 3-5 in Ottawa.

Murray, the world men's No. 1, was missing from Britain's roster unveiled Tuesday. Andy's brother Jamie Murray, Daniel Evans, Kyle Edmund and Dominic Inglot are slated to take on Canada at TD Place.

Laurendeau isn't entirely convinced Andy Murray will give Ottawa a pass, but believes his squad will nevertheless have its hands full with Britain.

"There could still be some changes in the next 10 days as to whether who really confirms playing and who doesn't," Laurendeau said from Hawaii during a conference call with reporters.

"Certainly the team that's being presented to us now from Great Britain is a formidable team nonetheless even if Andy has said he might skip this one and that still has yet to be confirmed."

Britain, led by captain Leon Smith, is seeded second in Davis Cup this year, while Canada is ranked 12th.

"With Murray, they're an incredible team and they certainly hold their seeding," Laurendeau said. "Without him, they're certainly a World Group team that will give any nation a tough time.

"We're expecting a very difficult weekend, definitely."

The winner in Ottawa advances to April's quarter-final round. The loser gets relegated to September's playoffs to stay in the World Group in 2018.

World men's No. 3 Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., is Canada's headliner with a 10-1 singles record on home courts.

Doubles specialist Nestor will play in his 50th Davis Cup tie dating back to 1992. The 44-year-old from Toronto is ranked No. 15 in doubles.

Vancouver's Pospisil is ranked 18th in doubles, having made the final in Doha, Qatar, earlier this month with Czech partner Radek Stepanek. Pospisil is ranked 135th in men's singles.

Shapovalov, 17, won the junior men's title at Wimbledon last year. The Richmond Hill, Ont., teenager will compete in his second Davis Cup tie.

Edmund and Evans rank 46th and 51st respectively in men's singles. Jamie Murray and Inglot are No. 4 and No. 43 respectively in doubles.

Home court and crowd are distinct advantages for Canada, says Laurendeau.

"Whenever we play in Canada, we've had really good results and that's in large part because you really feel like the crowd can carry you and can bring your game to another level," he explained. "That's probably the case world-wide.

"Also the conditions of play, which have been favourable to us, selecting a court that's fairly quick and some balls that are fairly quick. That's a plus for us and maybe not so much a plus for them."

It's been 50 years since Canada and Britain met in Davis Cup tennis. Britain won 4-1 in 1967.

Britain won the Davis Cup trophy in 2015 for its first title since 1936. They fell to Argentina 3-2 in last year's semifinals.

Canada is in the World Group for a sixth straight year with its best result a semifinal appearance in 2013.