Champions League: Mcclaren's Fc Twente Stand in Arsenal's Path

Steve McClaren will make an early return to English football when his new side, FC Twente, take on Arsenal in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. McClaren only took the reins at Twente – who finished fourth in the Dutch league last season - in June, and the tie will be a glorious chance to prove his many and varied critics wrong.

"We will be pleased with the draw," said Arsenal company secretary David Miles. "Logistically Holland isn't too far and it will give our fans the opportunity to see the game." Miles said McClaren might have been hoping for an easier draw. "I'm assuming people will say Arsenal are one of the strongest seeded teams and he might have been hoping for someone else, but that's what the draw brought us and we get on with it."

Elsewhere, Liverpool will begin their campaign against Standard Liege and, if Rangers make it past Kaunas in the second-qualifying round, they will play the winners of the tie between Aalborg and FK Modrica.

Arguably the best tie of the round is the match-up between Atlético Madrid and Schalke, while Irish champions Drogheda will play Spartak Moscow if they can overcome the small matter of a 2-1 first-leg deficit against Dynamo Kiev.

The first-leg ties will be played on August 12/13 with the return match taking place a fortnight later.

Champions League third qualifying round draw

Anorthosis Famagusta/Rapid Vienna v OlympiacosVitoria Guimaraes v IFK Gothenburg/FC BasleShakhtar Donetsk v NK Domzale/Dinamo ZagrebSchalke v Atlético MadridAalborg/FK Modrica v Rangers/KaunasBarcelona v Beitar Jerusalem/Wisla KrakowLevski Sofia v Anderlecht/BATEStandard Liege v LiverpoolInter Baku/FK Partizan v Fenerbahce/MTK BudapestFC Twente v ArsenalSpartak Moscow v Drogheda/Dinamo KievJuventus v Tampere/ArtmediaBrann/Ventspils v MarseilleFiorentina v Slavia PragueGalatasaray v Steaua BucharestPanathinaikos/Dinamo Tbilisi v Sheriff Tiraspol/Sparta Prague