Hearts, Hibs and Motherwell set to learn European opponents as Celtic and Rangers put dates in diary

The Jambos, currently searching for a replacement for Rangers-bound manager Derek McInnes, have earned a crack at Europe’s premier competition for the first time in 20 years by finishing second in the Premiership last term.

They will be unseeded in the draw for the second qualifying round, which will be conducted live on the UEFA website at 11am, and will face either Sturm Graz or Fenerbahce.

Sturm Graz finished runners-up in the Austrian Bundesliga, while Fenerbahce did likewise in the Turkish Super Lig, three points behind champions Galatasaray.

The first leg will take place on July 21 or 22, with the second leg a week later.

Hearts will have to come through three qualifiers to make it to the Champions League but there are a number of safety nets available to them with regards to securing European league-stage football.

If they defeat Fenerbahce or Sturm Graz, then lose in either the third qualifying round or play-off, they will go into the Europa League main draw.

If they lose their first Champions League qualifier, they will drop into the Europa League third qualifying round. They would be assured of league-stage football if they won that and would go into the Conference League play-offs if they lost it.

The situation with Hibs and Motherwell

Later in the day, Hibs and Motherwell will find out their Conference League second qualifying-round opponents when the draw is made at 1pm.

Hibs will be seeded, with Valur, Shelbourne, Derry City, IFK Goteborg, Coleraine, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Valletta and Beitar Jerusalem among several sides they could face.

Motherwell, who have yet to appoint a successor to manager Jens Berthel Askou following his move to Toulouse, will be unseeded, with Ajax, Braga, Linfield, Brann, Gent and Copenhagen just some of the teams they could potentially be pitted against.

The two-legged ties are scheduled to take place on July 23 and July 30.

On Wednesday morning, UEFA will put all Conference League teams into groups, with the potential opponents of both Hibs and Motherwell narrowed down to five. Both sides will have to come through three rounds to reach the main phase of the Conference League.

Meanwhile, Celtic and Rangers must wait to discover their European fate.

As last season's Premiership winners, Celtic enter the Champions League at the play-off round stage and will learn their opponents when the draw is made on Monday, August 3. The first leg of their tie will be played August 18/19 and second round on August 25/26. Celtic are guaranteed league-phase football either way as victory will take Martin O'Neill's side into the Champions League while defeat would mean dropping into the Europa League.

Rangers' reward for finishing third in the Premiership is a place in the Europa League third qualifying round, the draw for which takes place on Monday, July 20.

The first leg of the tie will be played on August 6 and the second leg is on August 13. If Rangers win that tie they progress to the play-off round and guarantee themselves Conference League football at worst.