Liverpool FC Women will face some up and coming rivals in the group stages of the FA Continental League Cup, the draw for which was announced on Friday.

Teams were placed in one of four pools, with two roughly based in the north and two in the south.

The Reds were placed in Group A alongside Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Coventry United, Durham and Sheffield United.

All five of the opponents are teams from the Women’s Championship with Durham finishing fourth and Sheffield United fifth in the league last season.

The Reds actually travelled to face Durham in last season’s Conti Cup, eventually winning 5-4 on penalties after a late Courtney Sweetman-Kirk equaliser earned a 3-3 draw.

A familiar face could be among the opposition in the Sheffield United encounter as former Red Leandra Little is now playing her football with the Blades.

Two of the opponents for Liverpool Women actually won titles last season, with Coventry lifting the FA National League south title and Blackburn Rovers the FA National League north title, earning their promotions to the Championship.

Fixtures are scheduled be confirmed in the next week with the first round of group games set for the weekend of September 21 and 22.

The top two teams from each pool will qualify for the quarter-finals building up to a final scheduled for Saturday February 29, 2020.

Liverpool FC Women fans can see every home game at Prenton Park this season, including all Conti Cup fixtures, with a season ticket priced just £35 adults, £25 for over 65s and under 16s and £70 for a family of four, available at www.liverpoolfc.com/women-tickets.

FA Continental League Cup draw in full

Group A: Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Coventry United, Durham, Liverpool, Sheffield United

Group B: Arsenal, Brighton and Hove Albion, Bristol City, Charlton Athletic, London Bees, London City Lionesses

Group C: Birmingham City, Everton, Leicester City, Manchester City, Manchester United

Group D: Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Lewes, Reading, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United