Conference League draw in full: Chelsea to face Shamrock Rovers as league phase opponents confirmed

Chelsea will host Irish club Shamrock Rovers in the Conference League league phase.

The Blues will also welcome Gent and Armenian minnows FC Noah to Stamford Bridge, while their three away matches will see them face Bundesliga side Heidenheim, a trip to Athens to face Panathinaikos and a lengthy trek to Kazakhstan as they go up against Astana.

The order of the fixtures will be confirmed on Saturday, but Chelsea will get their campaign underway on October 3.

Shamrock Rovers will also travel to face Northern Ireland’s Larne, in what will be a hugely-anticipated fixture for both sides, as well as welcoming Welsh club The New Saints to Dublin.

Saints are the first club from the top-flight Cymru Premier to feature in the group stages of a European competition, and can looking forward to blockbuster trip to Italy to take on Fiorentina. Their three home fixtures are against Heidenheim, Omonoia and Petrocub.

Hearts, meanwhile, will host Heidenheim, Omonoia and Petrocub, with their away matches coming against Copenhagen, Cercle Brugge and Dinamo Minsk.

A new format for European competitions means that all 36 clubs go into one league, rather than the usual four-team groups. The top eight after each club play their six matches will go straight through to the last-16, with those finishing the league phase in ninth to 24th qualifying for an extra play-off round.

Conference League fixtures:

Chelsea: Gent (H), Heidenheim (A), Astana (A), Shamrock Rovers (H), Panathinaikos (A), FC Noah (H)

The New Saints: Fiorentina (A), Djurgarden (H), Astana (H), Shamrock Rovers (A), Panathinaikos (H), Celje (A)

Hearts: Copenhagen (A), Heidenheim (H), Omonoia (H), Cercle Brugge (A), Petrocub (H), Dinamo Minsk (A)

Shamrock Rovers: Chelsea (A), Apoel (H), SK Rapid (A), The New Saints (H), Borac (H), Larne (A)

Larne: Gent (H), Molde (A), Olimpija (A), Shamrock Rovers (H), St Gallen (H), Dinamo Minsk (A)