Based on last season’s finishing position of Leeds’ 2023/24 opponents, the Whites will be eased into their return to the second tier, theoretically at least.
That is according to football statisticians Opta, who have calculated each Championship side’s start to the season to determine how difficult their opening set of fixtures are.
Leeds dropped into the Championship last month after defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the Premier League campaign condemned the club to relegation after a three-year stay in the top flight.
Heading down with the Whites are Leicester City and Southampton, both of whom will enjoy relatively straight-forward starts on paper in 2023/24.
Leeds’ first two league fixtures – against Cardiff City at Elland Road and a trip to St. Andrew’s Stadium to face Birmingham City – will be separated by a midweek engagement in the Carabao Cup versus Shrewsbury Town.
Here is a difficulty breakdown of each Championship team’s start to the season.
1. West Bromwich Albion - 24th (most difficult)
Carlos Corberan's Baggies face Leeds, Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers in their opening five encounters this coming season. Theirs is the toughest start. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) Photo: George Wood
2. Sheffield Wednesday: 23rd
Sheffield Wednesday's Championship re-introduction will be no cake-walk as they face Southampton on the opening weekend, as well as Leeds in their fifth game of the new campaign. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) Photo: Catherine Ivill
3. Coventry City: 22nd
Defeated play-off finalists Coventry City will need to lick their wounds and be prepared to go again in 2023/24, starting against Leicester City, shortly followed by an engagement with Michael Carrick's Boro. They also face Watford and Sunderland in their opening five. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Photo: Richard Heathcote
4. Birmingham City: 21st
Tyler Roberts' new side face a tough start coming up against Leeds in matchweek two, followed by last season's play-off chasers Millwall in matchweek five. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images) Photo: Tony Marshall
5. Rotherham United: 20th
Stoke, Sunderland, Blackburn, Leicester and Norwich await Rotherham in their first five. Doubt there'll be many teams envious of that start. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images) Photo: Matt McNulty
6. Huddersfield Town: 19th
No rest for the wicked as 74-year-old Neil Warnock prepares his Terriers to take on Leicester, Boro, Norwich and West Brom after their opener with Plymouth. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) Photo: George Wood