Arsenal face Turkish side Fenerbahce in Champions League play-offs

 
Arsene Wenger maintains Arsenal are "still working" to improve the squad
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Agency9 August 2013

Arsenal have been drawn to face Turkish club Fenerbahce in the Champions League play-offs.

Fenerbahce are awaiting a final ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over whether they will be allowed to go into the competition proper this season, having been banned from competing in Europe by UEFA for match-fixing in domestic competition.

They have challenged that ruling and a CAS verdict is due before the group stage draw is made, but home and away matches against Arsenal stand to go ahead before that decision arrives.

UEFA today said no decision has yet been made regarding what would happen in the event of Fenerbahce winning the tie and losing their CAS appeal.

Fenerbahce finished second in the Turkish Super Lig last season, while Arsenal took fourth place in the Barclays Premier League.

Celtic have been drawn against Shakhter Karagandy of Kazakhstan in what appears a favourable draw, travel notwithstanding, for Neil Lennon's team as they bid to reach the group stages.

Arsene Wenger's men will travel to Sukru Saracoglu Stadium for the first leg on August 21, before hosting the Turkish side at Emirates Stadium six days later.

The Istanbul-based side include former Premier League players Raul Meireles, Dirk Kuyt and Joseph Yobo.

Champions League play-off draw

Dinamo Zagreb v FK Austria Vienna
Ludogorets v Basle
Plzen v Maribor
Shakhtyor Karaganda v Celtic
Steaua Bucuresti v Legia Warsaw
Lyon v Real Sociedad
Schalke 04 v FC Metalist Kharkiv
Pacos Ferreira v Zenit St Petersburg
PSV v AC Milan
Fenerbahce v Arsenal


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