LAST UPDATE | 30 Aug

Originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.

SHAMROCK ROVERS HAVE been drawn to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge during the league phase of the revamped Uefa Conference League.

The Hoops will also host APOEL, meaning a reunion for Jack Byrne who spent time with the Cypriot club in 2021.

Welsh side New Saints as well as Borac are also coming to Tallaght Stadium.

The latter, champions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, only dropped into the third-tier competition after losing their Europa League play-off to Ferencvaros on penalties.

Stephen Bradley’s men will travel to Vienna to face SK Rapid as well as Irish League club Larne, with dates to be confirmed tomorrow.

Rovers could earn €400,000 for every win with an additional €133,000 for a draw.

The new 36-team format means Rovers have three games at home and three away.

A top eight finish will guarantee a place in the round of 16, and if they do enough to finish between ninth and 24th they will earn a play-off.

Before the draw was made Bradley said he hoped for a possible pathway to the knockout stages rather than glamour ties.

“The aim [is] to attack the games,” he said. “Unless something drastic happens in the next month, the squad is in a healthy place. Johnny [Kenny] is just back and Rory’s [Gaffney] op went well.

“We’re getting there in terms of bodies so the plan will be to attack games and try and win games and put ourselves in the mix.

“I understand people that probably don’t come every week would like the biggest of the names, but I really don’t care. I want games we can win. I’m not sure of the points, is it four points the record? I think we have to be looking to beat that.

“We spoke about it last time but I don’t think we were in a position to. I think we are in a position to do it now and that has to be the aim.

“If we do that, you put yourself in with a chance of going to a play-off. That’s the aim. We’ll see what we get and hopefully the draw is kind to us.”