The Premier League will oppose efforts to reduce automatic spots for the Champions League in a meeting this week with more than 150 clubs across Europe.

Proposals to return to the fourth-placed club having to qualify via the play-offs had been discussed by the president of the European Leagues organisation.

However, England's top tier is understood to have been reassured that the idea was far from set in stone ahead of a meeting on Thursday and Friday.

The Premier League is hosting the meeting and there will also be presentations from the players’ union Fifpro and the Football Supporters’ Federation.

Tougher qualification criteria affecting England's top tier as well as La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga will be proposed, but would need almost unanimous agreement to be in place within two seasons.