Manchester United make their much-anticipated return to the Champions League after a two-season absence, with Michael Carrick eager to build on their recent form since becoming the permanent manager.

Following a challenging start against Hull City, United faces the tough task of balancing domestic and European commitments. Carrick's early challenges include Premier League matches against Ipswich at home and an away game against Everton before kicking off their European journey.

In their last Champions League outing during the 2023/24 campaign, United struggled in the group stage, finishing at the bottom after suffering defeats to Bayern Munich, Galatasaray, and Copenhagen. This disappointing exit marked over two and a half years away from Europe’s elite competition, leading their coefficient to place them in pot two for the upcoming draw.

The club will compete against notable teams such as Borussia Dortmund, Porto, Brugge, Real Betis, PSV, Aston Villa, Roma, and Sporting Lisbon in the league phase.

Key details about the league phase include:

• 36 teams participating, each playing eight games.
• Teams divided into four pots based on UEFA coefficients.
• Automated software generates matchups, ensuring no teams from the same country face each other more than twice.
• The top eight teams advance directly to the last 16, while the next 16 enter a playoff stage for a chance to progress.

The exact dates and times for the fixtures are expected to be announced within the next 48 hours, with UEFA confirming the latest updates by Saturday.