Champions League: Premier League to get four group-stage spots along with Spanish, German and Italian leagues

Currently three teams qualify for the group stage of Europe’s platinum competition from each

Clarence Seedorf draws Leicester City in the Champions League draw (Getty)

The Premier League’s top four clubs will be guaranteed safe passage to the Champions League group stages from the 2018/19 season after Uefa announced changes to the competition's format.

The European football governing body also announced the same rule will be in place for clubs from Spain, Germany and Italy – the other three top ranking nations in their oft-discussed coefficient system – as well as tweaks to the Europa League regulations.

Currently three teams qualify for the group stage of Europe’s platinum competition from England, Spain and Germany with the fourth having to navigate a play-off fixture. In Italy two sides are awarded entry with the third participating in the play-off.

Uefa, the body which runs the Champions League, now says Europa League winners will also be granted a direct route into the group stage – as was the case with winners Sevilla this season. Despite calls for a ‘Super League’ to be introduced in recent years, the reforms stop short of offering established clubs automatic progression on stature alone.

This year Manchester United, Liverpool, AC Milan and Internazionale – who have 18 European Cup victories between them – have missed out on qualifying while debutants Leicester City are making their maiden appearance in the competition.

Elsewhere, Uefa competitions director Giorgio Marchetti has confirmed the current format of the Champions League will remain in place, with 32 teams being drawn into eight groups of four before 16 eventually emerge through to the knock-out stage.

Yesterday, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City were pitted against his former club Barcelona in one of many fascinating match-ups to emerge from the group stage draw.

City and Barca are joined in Group C by Borussia Monchengladbach and Scottish champions Celtic. Premier League holders Leicester will face Porto, Club Brugge and Copenhagen in Group G.

Arsenal's hopes of emerging from the group stage, meanwhile, were dented when Paris Saint-Germain were revealed as their primary competition in Group A alongside FC Basel and Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets. North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur are set to face CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco in Group E.