Europa League qualifiers: Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish teams learn opponents

Richard Foster and Lee WallaceSNS

St Johnstone and Rangers are two of the three Scottish clubs in the Europa League qualifying rounds

Rangers' return to European football will be against Luxembourg's Progres Niederkorn in the first qualifying round of the Europa League.

St Johnstone, like Rangers, will be at home for the first leg when they welcome Lithuania's Trakai.

In the second round, Aberdeen will play either Kazakhstan's Ordabasy or Siroki Brijeg of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Saints would play Norrkoping of Sweden or Prishtina, while AEL Limassol or St Joseph's would lie in wait for Rangers.

Aberdeen were drawn to play at home for the first leg of their second round game on 13 July, as were Rangers or Progres Niederkorn, with a trip to Cyprus or Gibraltar seven days later.

Lowdown on Progres Niederkorn

Founded in 1919, they last won the top division title in Luxembourg in 1981. Ended a spell in the second tier, called the Division of Honour, when they were promoted in 2006

They are managed by Olivier Ciancanelli, a 54-year-old Luxembourg native

The current squad includes former Hearts and Kilmarnock defender Ismael Bouzid

The team has never won a European tie, and has scored only once in their 12 continental games, conceding 40 goals. Last season, they were knocked out of the first qualifying round of the Europa League by Shamrock Rovers, with a 3-0 aggregate scoreline

Should St Johnstone progress against Trakai, they would be away for the first leg in Sweden or Kosovo.

In terms of the other British teams in first round action on 29 June and 6 July, Northern Ireland's Crusaders were paired with Latvia's Liepaja, while Ballymena United and Coleraine are away first to Norway's Odd and Haugesund respectively.

Bangor City will play Denmark's Lyngby, while fellow Welsh side Bala Town were paired with Liechtenstein's FC Vaduz and Connah's Quay Nomads take on the Finnish club HJK Helsinki.

Who are FK Trakai?

Founded in 2005, they were promoted to the top-flight of Lithuanian football in 2014. The following season they were league runners-up, their highest ever position

The club has never won a major honour in Lithuanian football, finishing runners-up in the Lithuanian Cup and Super Cup in 2016

The team plays at the Lithuanian Football Federation Stadium in Vilnius, the home of the national team

They have played three European ties, defeating HB Torshavn 7-1 on aggregate in the Europa League first qualifying round in 2015, but losing the other two ties to Apollon Limassol in 2015 and Nomme Kalju of Estonia in 2016

The third qualifying round (27 July and 3 August) and play-off round (17 and 24 August) complete the journey successful qualifying teams will make to reach the group stage, which will take place over six match days between mid-September and early December.

Sixteen sides, including Arsenal, Lazio and Real Sociedad, are already guaranteed places in the 48-team group stage, which will comprise 12 four-team sections.

British teams in Europa League first qualifying round

St Johnstone v Trakai (Lithuania)

Odd (Norway) v Ballymena United

Bala Town v Vaduz (Liechtenstein)

Connah's Quay Nomads v HJK Helsinki (Finland)

Rangers v Progrès Niederkorn (Luxembourg)

Crusaders v Liepāja (Latvia)

Lyngby (Denmark) v Bangor City

Haugesund (Norway) v Coleraine

Ties to be played 29 June and 6 July.

British teams in Europa League second qualifying round

Aberdeen vOrdabasy (Kazakhstan) or Siroki Brijeg (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

IFK Norrkoping (Sweden) or Prishtina (Kosovo) v St Johnstone or Trakai (Lithuania)

Rangers or Progrès Niederkorn (Luxembourg) v AEL Limassol (Cyprus) or St Joseph's (Gibraltar)

Haugesund (Norway) or Coleraine v Lech Poznan (Poland) or Pelister (Macedonia)

Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) or Pyunik (Armenia) v Lyngby (Denmark) or Bangor City

Crusaders or Liepaja (Latvia) v Shakhtyor Soligorsk (Belarus) or Suduva (Lithuania)

Bala Town or Vaduz (Liechtenstein) v Odd (Norway) or Ballymena United

Dacia Chisinau (Moldova) or Shkendija (Macedonia) v Connah's Quay Nomads or HJK Helsinki (Finland)

Ties to be played on 13 and 20 July.

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