The Blues are the favourites to complete the set of European trophies after triumphing in the Champions League and Europa League over the past decade. The Conference League is set for the knockout stage draw with Chelsea set to learn their last-16 opponents.
Enzo Maresca is under pressure after a disastrous run of form, which has seen the Blues eliminated from the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. The Blues have cruised in this competition though and remain strong favourites to complete the set of European trophies after winning the Champions League, Europa League and European Super Cup over the last decade.
After shifting Joao Felix and Axel Disasi in the January transfer window and Mykhailo Mudryk remains suspended, meaning Maresca will shuffle his squad in the coming weeks and may even call upon his first-teamers, including Cole Palmer, who did not feature in the group stage.
The draw takes place following the Europa League draw, which includes Manchester United, Tottenham and Rangers. Follow all the latest updates in Nyon from both draws below:. The draw for the last 16 of the Europa League takes place on Friday as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United learn their potential routes to the final in May.
The two Premier League clubs are among the favourites to win the competition despite some poor form domestically, and they are joined in the draw by 14 other clubs including Rangers, Lazio and Athletic Bilbao. And with the two English clubs being seeded in third and fourth respectively, they cannot meet again until the final, with both sides hoping that they can go far in this competition as they look to salvage a poor league season.
League phase top eight (seeded, ordered alphabetically)Cercle Brugge (BEL)Chelsea (ENG)Djurgården (SWE)Fiorentina (ITA)Legia Warszawa (POL)Lugano (SUI)SK Rapid (AUT)Vitória SC (POR). Knockout phase play-off winners (unseeded, ordered alphabetically)Borac (BIH)Celje (SVN)Copenhagen (DEN)Jagiellonia (POL)Molde (NOR)Pafos (CYP)Panathinaikos (GRE)Real Betis (ESP).
Hello and welcome to the Independent’s coverage of the Europa League last-16 draw. The ties for the 1/8 final will be revealed in Nyon, Switzerland later today following the Champions League last-16 draw. And British interest comes in the shape of Manchester United and Tottenham, both favourites with the bookmakers at this stage of the competition.
