Europa League draw: Who could Rangers face in the league phase?

Rangers are set to learn who they will face in the Europa League as the Ibrox side prepare for the league phase draw.

The 36 sides in the competition will be drawn against each other at a UEFA ceremony at noon and Philippe Clement and his players will learn what challenges await them.

In the new-look tournament, the group stage has been replaced by a league phase, with all 36 teams in one table.

Each team will play eight games against eight different opponents, with four games at home and four away.

The top eight teams will progress to the round of 16, with teams placed 9th to 24^thgoing through to a play-off round. Sides finishing from 25th to 36^th are knocked out of European competition altogether.

The league phase begins in the week of September 25-26 and runs until the last week in January.

Rangers’ strong record in the competition over recent years puts them among the top seeds but the nature of the draw means there’s no real advantage, with every side playing two teams from each of the four seeding pots.

Along with Rangers in the top pot are English Premier League giants Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, who are now managed by former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou.

There are two formidable Serie A sides in pot one in the shape of Roma and Lazio, while Porto are the third highest-ranked side in the competition.

Eintracht Frankfurt, who defeated Rangers in the Europa League final in 2022, are possible opponents, with Ajax Amsterdam and Slavia Prague also in the mix.

The second seeding pot provides some tough challenges, with Spanish side Real Sociedad the pick of the bunch. AZ, third in the Eredivisie last season, and Portuguese side Braga are among the higher-rated sides at this level, while a trip to face Greek sides Olympiacos or PAOK would be an experience.

A sixth-place finish in Ligue 1 put Lyon in the the draw, while Maccabi Tel Aviv saw off Panevezys and TSC Backa Topola with ease to reach the league phase.

Ferencvaros would be another test but the real entertainment could be drawing Fenerbahce, now managed by Jose Mourinho.

Rangers could meet Dynamo Kyiv just weeks after losing to the Ukrainians in Champions League qualifying. SNS Group

Moving on to pot three, the depth of talent in the competition is evident. Another Turkish side lies in wait in the shape of Galatasaray, and Bodo/Glimt’s performances in recent years make them an intriguing prospect.

Rangers defeated Union Saint-Gilloise in Champions League qualifying in 2022 and Philippe Clement would know plenty about his fellow Belgians, and the Ibrox club would find it easy to do their homework on Viktoria Plzen after the Czech side knocked Hearts out.

Ludogorets Razgrad, Midtjylland, Qarabag and Malmo are all sides with plenty of European experience but any team with ambitions of reaching the knockouts would be expected to deal with their challenge.

And pot three offers the chance of immediate revenge over Dynamo Kyiv after the Ukrainian side defeated Rangers in controversial circumstances in Champions League qualifying.

Seeding pot four is where the easier pickings are meant to be found but this season’s Europa League has challenges at every level.

With two opponents to be picked from each pot, there’s a high likelihood of getting a well-known name even from the lower seeds.

La Liga side Athletic Bilbao would provide a great away trip but a stern challenge and they are the highest ranked team in the lowest pot.

There’s potential Bundesliga opposition in the shape of TSG Hoffenheim, some of the best of the Benelux talent in Anderlecht and Twente as well as another Ligue 1 side, Nice.

Steaua Bucharest and Besiktas are in the mix, as are Elfsborg and Latvian side RFS, who lost twice to Hearts in the Conference League two years ago.