Arsenal face Udinese in Euro tie

Wenger guided Arsenal to the 2006 Champions League final

Arsenal have been drawn against Udinese in the play-off to reach the group stage of the Champions League.

The Gunners will be at home for the first leg of the tie against the Italians on Tuesday 16 August, with the return leg seven days later.

Germany’s Bayern Munich face FC Zurich of Switzerland, Dutch side FC Twente take on Portugal’s Benfica and French side Lyon take on Russia’s Rubin Kazan.

The draw for the Europa League is scheduled to take place at 1230 BST.

Arsenal face the qualifying tie to reach the group stage of the Champions League for a 14th consecutive season because they finished fourth in last season’s Premier League.

Boss Arsene Wenger will serve a one-match touchline ban, which is hanging over from last season’s second-round exit to Barcelona in the Nou Camp.

Wenger was charged with using “inapproriate language” towards match official Massimo Busacca after he showed Robin van Persie a second yellow card for shooting at goal after he had blown his whistle for offside.

Van Persie’s dismissal means he will sit out the first leg against Udinese, while midfielder Samir Nasri is also banned after been reprimanded by Uefa for his outburst at Busacca.

The first leg of their tie with Udinese is sandwiched between the first Premier League game of the season at Newcastle and the visit of Liverpool to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday 20 August.

The second leg, in Italy on 23 August, precedes their Premier League trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.

Champions League play-off draw:

Wisla Krakow v Apoel Nicosia

Maccabi Haifa v Genk

Dinamo Zagreb v Malmo FF

FC Copenhagen v Plzen

BATE v SK Sturm Graz

Odense BK v Villarreal

FC Twente v Benfica

Arsenal v Udinese

Bayern Munich v FC Zurich

Lyon v Rubin Kazan

Ties to be played 16/17 and 23/24 August