Ajax, FC Porto and Valencia Await England’s Europa League Sides

The Premier League's remaining representatives in this season's Europa League, Manchester United, Manchester City and Stoke City have all been dealt tricky looking ties for the competitions second round.

Manchester City have been drawn against the defending champions FC Porto, Manchester United at Ajax and Stoke City will play Valencia.

Manchester City and Manchester United were both surprisingly eliminated from the Champions League, albeit from one of the hardest groups in the competition, and City, alongside their bitter rivals most now contend with the relatively chastening experience of Thursday night football in Europe's secondary competition alongside Stoke City.

Although both Manchester clubs will inevitably see the tournament as something of an unwanted distraction the prospect of facing FC Porto and Ajax respectively will inevitably heighten their appetite to progress further in the competition. Stoke City face an equally daunting tie against La Liga side Valencia, who recently were eliminated from the same Champions League group as Chelsea.

The ties will take place on February 16 and the 23<sup>rd and Stoke City will play their first leg at the Britannia Stadium. Manchester United and Manchester City are both away in the first leg.

Manchester City could face Legia Warsaw or Sporting Lisbon should they successfully negotiate FC Porto, while Manchester United have been tentatively drawn against Lokomotiv Moscow or Athletic Bilbao. Stoke City may face either Trabzonspor or PSV Eindhoven if they make the last 16.

Draw in Full: -

STOKE CITY v VALENCIA

SALZBURG V METALIST KHARKIV

LOKOMOTIV MOSCOWvATHLETIC BILBAO

AJAX v MANCHESTER UNITED

AZ ALKMAAR v ANDERLECHT

RUBIN KAZAN v OLYMPIAKOS

VIKTORIA PLZEN v SCHALKE

STEAUA BUCHAREST v TWENTE

LAZIO v ATLETICO MADRID

UDINESE v PAOK

BRAGA V BESIKTAS

WISLA KRAKOW v STANDARD LIEGE

LEGIA WARSAW v SPORTING LISBON

HANNOVER v BRUGGE

TRABZONSPOR v PSV EINDHOVEN

PORTO v MANCHESTER CITY