Chelsea to face Braga or Servette in Europa Conference League play-off

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Chelsea have been drawn against either Braga or Servette in the play-off round for the group phase of the Europa Conference League.

The first leg will take place on Thursday, August 22 at Stamford Bridge, with Enzo Maresca’s Blues visiting Portugal or Switzerland a week later.

Chelsea finished sixth in the Premier League last season, but were denied a Europa League spot after eighth-placed Manchester United beat Manchester City to lift the FA Cup.

Braga, who finished fourth in the Portuguese Primera Liga last term, meet Servette, who were third in the Swiss Super League, on Thursday and again seven days later.

Elsewhere, Rangers will potentially face Red Bull Salzburg or FC Twente for a place in the Champions League group stage.

The Scottish giants have been drawn to play the winner of the clash between the 17-time Austrian champions and the Dutch club in the play-off round of the competition, if they can first overcome Dynamo Kyiv.

Philippe Clement’s men take on 16-time Ukrainian champions Dynamo in the third qualifying round on Tuesday in Lublin, Poland before next Tuesday’s second leg is staged at at Hampden Park due to ongoing renovation work at Ibrox.

The first leg against Salzburg or Twente would be at home on August 20 or 21, with the return match on August 27 or 28.

Rangers avoided a possible showdown with Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce during Monday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland.

Former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United boss Mourinho is preparing for his first season in Turkey following his appointment in June.

His new club will take on Czech side Slavia Prague or Belgian outfit Union Saint-Gilloise.

Two-time Champions League winner Jose Mourinho was appointed by Fenerbahce in June (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

In the Europa League, Hearts face a play-off against the winners of the third qualifying round tie between Ukrainian side Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih and Czech club Viktoria Plzen.

The Jambos, who finished third in the Scottish Premiership last term, have been drawn away in the first leg.

Welsh champions The New Saints will face the losers of the Champions League qualifier between Azerbaijani club Qarabag and Bulgarian side Ludogorets, if they progress beyond Moldovan outfit Petrocub.

If the Saints are beaten by Petrocub, they would drop into a Europa Conference League play-off against either Lithuanian club FK Panevezys or Maccabi Tel-Aviv of Israel.

Reigning League of Ireland champions Shamrock Rovers, who must first take on Slovenian side NK Celje, will potentially play Malmo or Greek club PAOK in the Europa League play-off.

Defeat for Rovers against Celje would result in them playing FC Ordabasy of Kazakhstan or Armenians FC Pyunik in the Europa League play-off.

Meanwhile, Scottish clubs St Mirren and Kilmarnock discovered their potential opponents in the Europa Conference League play-offs.

Saints will meet the winner of the tie between Romanian side Corvinul 1921 Hunedoara and FC Astana of Kazakhstan if they first overcome Brann, while Killie’s reward if they eliminate Tromso will be a showdown with Danish side FC Copenhagen or Czech outfit Banik Ostrava.

In the same competition, Northern Irish side Larne will take on Dinamo Minsk of Belarus or Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps, should they first beat Kosovan club Ballkani.

Irish side St Patrick’s Athletic will take on Georgian outfit FC Iberia 1999 or Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir, if they overcome FC Sabah of Azerbaijan.