Breaking: Chelsea discover Champions League opponents as Enzo Maresca handed tough draw

Chelsea will face Bayern Munich and Barcelona in the Champions League league phase after the draw was completed in Monaco this evening.

The Blues are back in Europe's most prestigious competition for the first time since the 2022/23 season where they were knocked out by Real Madrid in the quarter-final stage. After a two-year absence, Chelsea will take on Bayern Munich (away), Barcelona (home), Benfica (home), Atalanta (away), Ajax (home), Napoli (away), Pafos (home) and Qarabag (away).

The dates and times for these games will be announced in due course. Chelsea will come up against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in what will be a difficult test to see how far Maresca's players have come over the past 12-or-so months.

Likewise, Barcelona at Stamford Bridge will test the players to the limit. There are some - what look like - challenging trips to Italy to take on Napoli and Atalanta, while the Blues will also go head-to-head with Cypriot side Pafos in west London. A trip to Qarabag in Azerbaijan will cause travel chaos for Blues supporters.

Benfica and Ajax, both at home, present challenges to Chelsea, but ones you think the world champions should come through.

This is a developing news story that will be updated with relevant information as we get it. More to follow...

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