Europa League: When do Liverpool find out their opponents, when do they play, who could they face?

European Football returns this week with the three tiers of competition, but Liverpool will not be involved.

The knockout stages for the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League all begin this week but Liverpool are safe and sound in the Last 16 of the Europa waiting for the Last 32 round to finish. It promises to be an exciting week of encounters with plenty of English interest but Liverpool fans will have a close eye on the competition dropping down from the Champions League to see who will pose the biggest threat to their potential crown.

When do Liverpool return in the Europa League?

With Liverpool topping their group with 12 points, just one point ahead of Toulouse, they have received an automatic bye into the Last 16 of the draw. Any teams finishing in second-place have been sent to the Last 32, where the Champions League teams enter.

As it stands, Liverpool will play their first leg on March 7 and the return on March 14. Plus, the Reds will benefit from being away from home in the first leg and at Anfield for the return game.

Who will they play in the Last 16?

They will have to wait to see who their next opponents will be. It will not be one of the seeded teams as follows: Atalanta, Brighton, Leverkusen, Rangers, Slavia Praha, Villarreal and West Ham. The draw for their next round will take place on February 23 and one of the key rules is that no side can face another team from the same national association - so there is no chance of facing Brighton or West Ham.

Are Liverpool the favourites?

As it stands, Liverpool are the out-and-out favourites to win the competition based off the bookies odds but there is a real sense that they are the best team in the competition given their league form this season.

There are threats from the likes of the in-form Atalanta side impressing in Italy, Brighton, West Ham and old foes Villarreal. On top of that, there's also a sprinkling of Champions League third-place clubs including Galatasaray, AC Milan, Benfica, Sporting and even the likes of Roma to round off a strong draw.

However, the most eye-watering match-up is certainly a date with the next potential Liverpool manager in Xabi Alonso. His Bayer Leverkusen side are among the favourites and a clash between the two sides would not only be hugely exciting on the pitch but it would have that undertone of it being a job interview of sorts for the favourite for the job. It won't be easy but Liverpool are well-placed to triumph.