Europa League draw - LIVE: Arsenal and Chelsea learn group stage opponents plus Celtic and Rangers latest

Follow live coverage of the draw from Monte Carlo, Monaco

Who have the English clubs drawn in the Champions League?

Arsenal and Chelsea learned their Europa League fate on Friday afternoon along with Scottish Premiership sides Celtic and Rangers as the group stage draw took place in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Arsenal, who reached the semi-finals last season before losing to eventual champions Atletico Madrid, face a nightmare schedule of long-distance trips to Azerbaijan and Ukraine after being drawn against FK Qarabag and FC Vorskla Poltava, with Sporting CP making up Group E.

But the draw has been far kinder to Chelsea, who will take on PAOK, BATE Borisov and Hungarian side Vidi.

Celtic have a testing group on their hands as stablemates Salsburg and RB Leipzig are paired together along with Rosenborg in Group B, while Rangers return to European football in Group G against Villarreal, Rapid Vienna and Spartak Moscow.

Follow live coverage of the draw below...

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When and where is the draw?

The group stage draw takes place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Friday 31 August. It will take place at midday.

How can I watch the draw?

On BT Sport 2 from midday. You can also follow live coverage and reaction right here with The Independent.

The Europa League draw takes place on Friday (Getty)

What do I need to know?

48 teams are involved in the group stage: 17 teams which automatically qualified and another 21 teams which survived the various play-off rounds. There are then six teams added that lost in the Champions League play-off round, as well as four defeated in the Champions League third qualifying round.

No team can play a club from their own country.

The pots

Pot 1: Sevilla, Arsenal, Chelsea, Zenit, Bayer Leverkusen, Dynamo Kyiv, Besiktas, Salzburg, Olympiakos, Villarreal, Anderlecht, Lazio.

Pot 2: Sporting CP, Ludogorets, FC Copenhagen, Marseille, Celtic, PAOK, AC Milan, Genk, Fenerbahce, Krasnodar, Astana, Rapid Wien.

Pot 3: Real Betis, BATE Borisov, Qarabag, Dinamo Zagreb, RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt, Malmo, Spartak Moscow, Standard Liege, Zurich, Bordeaux, Rennes.

Pot 4: Apollon, Rosenborg, Vorskla Poltava, Slavia Prague, Akhisar Belediyespor, Jablonec, AEK Larnaca, Vidi, Rangers, Dudelange, Spartak Trnava, Sarpsborg.

Key Points

• Arsenal, Chelsea, Celtic and Rangers discover their group stage draw
• Gunners face 8,000-mile round trip after drawing Sporting CP, Qarabag and Vorskla Poltava
• Chelsea receive dream draw against PAOK, BATE Borisov and Vidi
• Celtic grouped with Salzburg, RB Leipzig and Rosenborg
• Rangers placed in Group G with Villarreal, Rapid Vienna and Spartak Moscow

[31 August 2018 12:20 · Jack de Menezes]

Group B: Salzburg

[31 August 2018 12:20 · Jack de Menezes]

Group C: Zenit St Peterburg

[31 August 2018 12:21 · Jack de Menezes]

Group D: Anderlecht

[31 August 2018 12:21 · Jack de Menezes]

Group E: ARSENAL

[31 August 2018 12:21 · Jack de Menezes]

Group F: Olympiakos

[31 August 2018 12:22 · Jack de Menezes]

Group G: Villarreal

[31 August 2018 12:22 · Jack de Menezes]

Group H: Lazio

[31 August 2018 12:22 · Jack de Menezes]

Group I: Besiktas

[31 August 2018 12:23 · Jack de Menezes]

Group J: Sevilla

[31 August 2018 12:23 · Jack de Menezes]

Group K: Dynamo Kiev