Red Star Belgrade v Celtic: Europa League campaign kicks off in Serbia

Celtic are preparing to kick off their Europa League campaign in Serbia on Wednesday night.

The Hoops are in Belgrade to take on Red Star (Crvena Zvezda) in their opening fixture in the league phase of the continent’s second-tier competition.

Brendan Rodgers will be looking to get off to a good start in the first of eight games at this stage of the tournament.

The manager will speak to the press on Tuesday as he prepares his team for what could prove to be a tough away tie in a famously intimidating venue.

His squad has been boosted by the return of Scotland international Anthony Ralston, who is back in training after missing recent games against Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle.

Last season’s Premiership winners dropped into the Europa after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Kazakh side Kairat Almaty in the Champions League playoff.

They have their first home game next week when they host Portuguese Braga at Celtic Park.

Their other fixtures include Sturm Graz, Midtjylland, Feyenoord, AS Roma, and Bologna before bringing the League phase to an end with a home game against Utrecht.

After that, the top eight sides will go straight into the last-16, while the teams from 9 to 24 will enter the knockout stages in a play-off round to see who joins them.