British teams entered into European draws

The Champions League and Europa League’s opening qualifying rounds will be drawn today as British teams get set to learn their first opponents.

Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham have all earned automatic spots into the Champions League group stage, but five British sides will have to go through qualification to join them.

Clubs cannot draw teams from the same country and will also be separated into seeds for the first round, decided by Uefa’s co-efficient rankings established at the start of the season.

There are three qualifying rounds and then a final play-off round before the group stage.

Along with Celtic. Republic of Ireland champions Dundalk, Northern Ireland’s Linfield and Welsh club The New Saints, both seeded, are waiting to find out their first-round opponents.

Liverpool, who finished fourth in the Premier League last season, are entered straight into the play-off round.

Arsenal’s fifth-place finish meant they missed out on the Champions League and instead earned an automatic place in the Europa League group stage.

The Europa League’s first and second qualifying rounds will also be drawn and 11 British sides will be pulled out of the pot, including St Johnstone, Rangers and Aberdeen, Crusaders, Coleraine and Ballymena United, Shamrock Rovers, Cork City and Derry City.

Welsh trio Bala Town, Connah’s Quay Nomads and Bangor City will also be fighting it out in the first round, while Everton will start the tournament in the third qualifying round as they bid to earn a play-off and a place in the group stage.