Promoted Wrexham to start season at Southampton

Wrexham's first second-tier lucifer for 43 years will beryllium astatine Southampton connected Saturday, 9 August - a time aft Birmingham City unfastened nan Championship play by hosting Ipswich Town.

Leicester City's return to nan 2nd tier originates astatine location against Sheffield Wednesday connected Sunday, 10 August.

League One play-off last winners Charlton Athletic people their return to nan Championship aft a five-year absence pinch a location crippled against a Watford broadside now managed by Uruguayan Paulo Pezzolano.

Sheffield United, who were beaten by Sunderland successful nan Championship play-off final, commencement nan run against nan Bristol City broadside they hit successful nan semi-finals.

It was only 14 months agone that Leicester claimed nan Championship title and promotion backmost to nan Premier League astatine their first attempt.

But relegation aft conscionable 1 play backmost successful nan apical formation intends they will people nan 10-year day of their Premier League title triumph pinch a final-day travel to Blackburn connected 2 May, 2026.

Southampton, who person gone up and down nan 2 divisions alongside Leicester successful nan past 3 seasons, will invited Hollywood-owned Wrexham to St Mary's successful 1 of 10 fixtures connected Saturday, 9 August.

The Championship play starts a week aft nan League One and League Two campaigns and seven days earlier nan Premier League run begins.

Friday, 8 August

Birmingham City v Ipswich Town (20:00)

Saturday, 9 August

Charlton Athletic v Watford (12:30)

Coventry City v Hull City (12:30)

Southampton v Wrexham (12:30)

Middlesbrough v Swansea City (15:00)

Norwich City v Millwall (15:00)

Oxford United v Portsmouth (15:00)

Queens Park Rangers v Preston North End (15:00)

Stoke City v Derby County (15:00)

West Bromwich Albion v Blackburn Rovers (15:00)

Sheffield United v Bristol City 17:30 BST

Sunday, 10 August

Leicester City v Sheffield Wednesday (16:30)

All times BST

Leicester City will beryllium welcoming players backmost for pre-season successful nan coming days, but who will beryllium successful complaint of nan Foxes for their opening fixture against nan Owls remains uncertain.

Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy has managed to clasp connected to his occupation for much than 9 weeks since Leicester's relegation from nan Premier League was confirmed.

There was aggravated speculation astir his early successful nan last weeks of nan campaign, and that has not gone distant since nan play ended.

Uncertainty astir nan dressed up erstwhile Manchester United, Real Madrid and Netherlands striker's position has dragged connected alongside off-field concerns astir a imaginable points punishment for nan club.

Leicester were charged successful May for allegedly breaching nan EFL's financial rules erstwhile they won nan Championship title and promotion conscionable complete a twelvemonth ago.

If Van Nistelrooy is replaced, it intends nan nine will person a 3rd different imperishable head successful nan dugout since Enzo Maresca took them up successful that 2023-24 season.

Ipswich's Kieran McKenna is nan only promotion-winning leader from that play to person survived nan Premier League campaign.

Southampton return to nan 2nd tier pinch Will Still now astatine nan helm aft Russell Martin and Ivan Juric were some sacked by Saints successful a play that they vanished bottommost of nan apical formation pinch conscionable 12 points.

A record-breaking run by Birmingham City saw them make an contiguous return to nan Championship by amassing an EFL grounds 111 points arsenic League One title winners.

Blues president Tom Wagner has antecedently said that going connected to scope nan Premier League adjacent play "is surely nan goal" of a nine that has been transformed by an ownership group that includes seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.

The floor plan boost nan NFL fable has fixed them besides intends their rivalry pinch Wrexham, owned by Hollywood brace Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, will tie immense attraction erstwhile again.

The Welsh nine vanished runners-up to Blues successful League One past season, but group a grounds of their ain arsenic they became nan first squad successful nan apical 5 divisions of English shot to gain 3 consecutive promotions.

Getting Wrexham to nan Premier League has been nan purpose from nan outset for Reynolds and McElhenney, who person made nan club's meteoric emergence of caller years into a world docuseries hit.

While it is not a section derby, Birmingham and Wrexham's meetings connected 4 October astatine nan Stok Racecourse crushed and 11 April astatine St Andrew's, will get header treatment.

The first convention gathering betwixt Southampton and Portsmouth for much than 13 years will return spot astatine St Mary's complete nan play of 13/14 September.

Both South Coast derbies ended successful draws erstwhile nan 2 sides past played during nan 2011-12 Championship run and nan astir caller gathering betwixt them saw Saints listen Pompey 4-0 astatine Fratton Park successful nan EFL Cup successful 2019.

Meanwhile, Ipswich's return to nan Championship intends nan East Anglian derby - besides known arsenic nan Old Farm derby - against Norwich City is backmost connected nan schedule astatine Portman Road successful early October and mid-April astatine Carrow Road.

And pinch Derby County avoiding relegation connected nan last time past term, they look East Midlands rivals Leicester City successful nan convention for nan first clip successful 11 years erstwhile they meet successful early December astatine Pride Park earlier they look 1 different again 3 weeks later astatine nan King Power Stadium.

Sheffield United's conclusion successful nan Championship play-off last intends different play of nan Steel City Derby against Sheffield Wednesday, pinch nan Blades hosting their metropolis neighbours first complete nan play of 22/23 November.