Europa League draw live start time and possible opponents as Manchester United learn last 16 tie

Manchester United will discover who they will face in the last 16 of the Europa League when the draw is made at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon at 12pm on Friday lunchtime.

United automatically qualified for the first knockout round of the competition last month, claiming one of the eight automatic qualification spots. They finished third in the league phase table after winning five of their eight matches.

As a result of the new format that has been introduced this season, United already have a clear of idea of who they will be facing, with the draw guaranteed to pit them up against either AZ Alkmaar or Real Sociedad.

Both AZ and Sociedad successfully navigated their way through the play-off round on Thursday evening, seeing off Galatasaray and FC Midtjylland respectively. Whoever is not drawn against United will instead face Tottenham Hotspur, who also automatically qualified for the last 16.

With the remainder of United's Premier League campaign highly unlikely to offer a route into Europe for next season, the Europa League offers the club its best hope of securing Champions League qualification for 2025/26, with the Europa League winners guaranteed a place in Europe's premier club competition.

Follow the LIVE blog below for all of the build-up and the draw itself...

Currently sitting 15th in the Premier League, any hopes United had of qualifying for Europe next season via their domestic league finish are gone.

Talk of relegation is creeping in again, meaning their only hope of competing in the Champions League next season is by winning this season's Europa League.

The Europa League is mostly made up of fodder this season, and with those who exited the Champions League at the first hurdle not dropping into the