Four things Leeds United fans should look out for on EFL fixture release day from derby clashes and six-pointers

Fixture release day is almost upon us, with Leeds United preparing to learn the order in which they will play their 23 Championship rivals next season. Daniel Farke’s men go into the new season as promotion favourites having narrowly missed out on automatic and play-off promotion last season.

The Whites will be hoping for a start to the season that allows them to build momentum after getting off to a slow start last time around, something that may have cost them automatic promotion, meanwhile, there are plenty of other things to look out for on Wednesday when the fixtures are released at 9am. Here we take a look at what to look out for.

The firsts and lasts

Fans will always be drawn to the first game of the season when the fixture list is announced, but it’s not just the first game of the season that will attract attention. There will also be plenty of interest in the first home game and first away game, as well as the last home and away games. It will also be interesting to see the kind of run-in Leeds face to see whether any promotion hopes are likely to be tested down the stretch.

Festive fixtures

There is also lots of interest in the festive fixtures, with the EFL going full steam ahead through Christmas and New Year. Leeds fans will be keen to see who their team will play on Boxing Day, in the game between Boxing Day and the end of the year and, of course, who they get on New Year’s day. Those fixtures are not only fun for fans, but they can also have a big say on each team’s season.

Derby days

Leeds will, as ever, have some derby games to look forward to in the coming season, with a number of Yorkshire teams in the mix, albeit that list has been reduced given Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United dropped down to League One. Games against Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday will be of interest as well as clashes with Hull City.

Beyond the local games, Leeds fans will also be interested to see when they play some of their old rivals, including the likes of Millwall and Cardiff City.

The six-pointers

Leeds will go into the new season as promotion favourites, but there will be other teams who are licking their lips at the thought of promotion to the Premier League. Burnley still need to find a manager, but they will be tipped for promotion regardless, while Luton Town usually do a good job of preparing for the new season without too many hiccups.

Teams like Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, Coventry City and West Brom will also be fancied, and games against those sorts of clubs will be viewed as the more tricky games, even if the Championship throws up big challenges across the board. Such games could also define Leeds’ promotion bid next season. There will also be some interest in games against newly promoted sides Portsmouth, Oxford United and Derby County, given it has been some time since Whites fans have visited those grounds, particularly the first two.