Celtic and Rangers face coefficient wait as Ukrainian clubs set for UEFA group stage parachute

Ukrainian clubs may be granted a bye straight into the group stage of UEFA competitions next season with qualifiers scrapped, according to Dnipro boss Igor Jovicevic.

And that could have implications for Scotland's coefficient standings with SPFL clubs facing an anxious wait to see how it may affect countries above Ukraine in the standings.

The Ukrainian league season was called early due to the ongoing Russian invasion with European places handed out based on standings at the time.

No champion was declared but Shakhtar, who were top of the league, and second-placed Dinamo Kyiv are set to represent them in the Champions League.

Ukraine are currently 12th on the coefficient table, three points behind Scotland, and that means third-placed Dnipro go into the Europa League while Zorja and Vorskla go into the Conference League.

In normal circumstances every one of Ukraine's five European representatives would have to go through a qualifier.

Get all the latest Sports news sent straight to your Inbox every day by signing up to our newsletter.

We cover every morsel of information regarding your favourite club in the form of articles, videos and podcasts.

The newsletter will arrive every day at 12pm, giving you a round up of the best stories we've covered that in the last 24 hours.

To sign up, simply enter your email address into the link here.

And if you aren't already, make sure you join the conversation over on our Facebook groups and Record Sport Instagram.

But in a potential unprecedented move, Dnipro boss Jovicevic claims UEFA are in talks over a proposal to grant all of them automatic qualification.

It could give five Ukrainian clubs the chance to rack up coefficient points and puts them back in the mix for the top