Fletcher: Respects Russians

DRAW DETAILS

POT 1
Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Olympique Lyonnais, Internazionale, Real Madrid
POT 2
FC Bayern München, PSV Eindhoven, Villarreal, AS Roma, FC Porto, Werder Bremen, Sporting Lisbon, Juventus
POT 3
Marseille, Zenit St. Petersburg, Steaua Bucharest, Panathinaikos, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, Celtic, FC Basel, Fenerbahçe
POT 4
Shakhtar Donetsk, Fiorentina, Atlético Madrid, Dynamo Kyiv, CFR 1907 Cluj,
Aalborg BK, Famagusta, FC BATE Borisov

* One team from each pot will be placed in eight groups of four. No team from the same country can be included in the same group.

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• Award nominees

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has warned this season's UEFA Champions League hopefuls to beware the emerging threat from Russia's top clubs.

United - along with Celtic, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea - will learn their group stage opponents on Thursday when the finest clubs on the continent gather for the draw in Monaco.

Although AC Milan are absent, Bayern Munich return. And with Juventus leading a four-strong Italian challenge and Barcelona and Real Madrid taking up their customary places from Spain, familiar opposition seems guaranteed at some stage of the competition for the English quartet.

However, all four could also face Uefa Cup winners Zenit St Petersburg, who square up to the Red Devils in Super Cup combat on Friday night.

And having seen them dispose of Rangers at the City of Manchester Stadium last season, Fletcher feels there is more to come from Dick Advocaat's side.

"Zenit St Petersburg will fancy themselves to do really well in the Champions League this season," said Fletcher.

"They beat some top teams in the Uefa Cup last season so they are no mugs.

"There is also a lot of money in the Russian game. There are plenty of Brazilian players over there and people generally don't realise how strong a league it is.

"A lot of teams struggle when they go out to Russia, so that gives them a big advantage as well."

Draining

While familiar names pack the top two pots, United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal will be wary of what lies beneath.

Celtic are in pot three along with Zenit, Steaua Bucharest and Panathinaikos, raising the prospect of draining away trips.

And apart from even more lengthy journeys, including two to the Ukraine, pot four contains some Champions League new-boys.

Cluj bolster the Romanian challenge, BATE Borisov are one to avoid, if only because it involves a trip to Belarus, while United would not have expected to return to Cyprus after playing Maccabi Haifa on the island in 2002, yet that is exactly what might happen after Famagusta made it through.

"It would be good for European football as a whole if teams from more countries were competitive in the Champions League," admitted Fletcher.

"Porto came from nowhere to win it a few years back and there are good leagues throughout Europe that are getting stronger all the time.

"There are a number of teams who could win it and it would be no surprise if they did.

"The draw is always an exciting time. You look forward to seeing who you are playing, whether it is a new challenge and how far you are travelling.

"It is the top club competition in the world but if we can show our form from last year and learn from the experiences it should stand us in good stead this season."