Unveiling the Epic Showdown: Powerhouse Performers, Rising Stars, and Unforgettable Moments in the 2023/24 Championship!

Who's new in the Championship?

Three major teams have been demoted from the Premier League and are expected to be strong contenders in the upcoming Championship season.

Southampton has made a comeback after an absence of 11 years. They began their journey with a 2-1 triumph against Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night. Additionally, Leeds United has returned to the division following three years of competing in the top-flight football league.

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Leeds United has made a comeback in the Championship after a three-year absence. Meanwhile, Leicester City, who were crowned Premier League champions seven years ago, find themselves returning to the second tier after a nine-year gap.

Plymouth Argyle secured promotion as the champions of League One, marking their return to the Championship after a 13-year absence. During those years, they spent seven seasons competing in League Two.

In second place, Ipswich Town makes a comeback after a four-year hiatus, while Sheffield Wednesday's promotion through the play-offs grants them a return to the second tier, which they hadn't experienced since 2021.

The opener on Friday

Sunday's Championship triple-header

Some big names remain... for now

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Leicester's bid to reclaim a spot in the Championship will be led by Jamie Vardy. Despite the departure of key players like James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, and Youri Tielemans, Vardy, Kelechi Iheanacho, Timothy Castagne, and Wilfried Ndidi remain integral members of the squad. The team will kick off their opening game at the King Power Stadium against Coventry, which will be broadcasted live on We Football from 11.30am on Sunday.

Also, Leeds United will have Tyler Adams, Jack Harrison, and Wilfried Gnonto in their squad as they get ready to host Cardiff. The match will be aired live on We Football starting from 2 pm on Sunday, with the kick-off scheduled for 2.30 pm. This promises to be an exciting start to the Championship football season filled with star players.

The new faces in charge

It wouldn't be the Championship without some level of managerial changes, and the start of the new season will see seven of the 24 clubs welcoming new faces in the dugout.

All three clubs that were relegated now have new managers leading the way. Southampton made a move to acquire Russell Martin from Swansea City. He successfully guided the Swans to mid-table finishes in the past two seasons, and his possession-based style of play left a strong impression on many observers.

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Russell Martin is now in charge at Southampton.

Leeds has hired Daniel Farke, the German manager who has previously achieved two league victories with Norwich City in 2019 and 2021. In the meantime, Leicester has entrusted Enzo Maresca with the managerial role. The 43-year-old is stepping into his first-ever managerial position after serving as Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City.

Elsewhere, Sheffield Wednesday has terminated their contract with Darren Moore, despite his leadership resulting in promotion. Xisco Munoz, the manager responsible for leading Watford into the Premier League in 2021, has been appointed as his replacement.

On the topic of Watford... they have hired Valerien Ismael, who successfully guided Barnsley into the play-offs in 2021, but had a less prosperous tenure while managing West Brom in the Championship the following season.

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Watford has appointed Valerien Ismael as their new manager. Following the departure of Martin, Swansea appointed Michael Duff as his replacement. Duff previously led Barnsley to the League One play-off final last season, but unfortunately, they were defeated by Sheffield Wednesday.

Can anyone else challenge the relegated sides?

Leicester, Leeds, and Southampton face strong competition in their quest for promotion, but is there any other team that can challenge them for the coveted top two spots?

Middlesbrough experienced a disappointing outcome in the play-offs during the previous season; however, under the guidance of Michael Carrick, they embarked on an astonishing journey. The team managed to retain their star striker, Chuba Akpom, but will face the challenge of finding suitable replacements for Cameron Archer and Aaron Ramsey. These loaned players from Aston Villa played a vital role in Middlesbrough's remarkable performance during the latter half of the campaign.

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Chuba Akpom will hope to spearhead Middlesbrough to promotion

Ipswich Town could also be considered as a dark horse, looking to maintain the momentum they gained from their promotion under Kieran McKenna last season. In contrast, Norwich City have focused on strengthening their squad with experienced players like Ashley Barnes and Shane Duffy during the summer transfer window, and are expected to make improvements after a disappointing mid-table finish last season.

Despite narrowly missing out on promotion in the previous season by losing in the play-off final to Luton on penalties, Coventry City finds themselves without their key striker Viktor Gyokeres and potentially losing midfielder Gustavo Hamer. However, Mark Robins and his team have consistently defied expectations in the past, so it would be unwise to count them out once again.

While Sunderland, who made it to last season's play-offs, will hope to continue to improve under Tony Mowbray.

What about anyone else? Well, this is the Championship. So anything can happen.

Any other big signings?

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Aaron Ramsey has rejoined boyhood club Cardiff City

Cardiff City is buzzing with excitement after Aaron Ramsey's homecoming. The Welsh football icon and former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder has returned to his childhood club after a 15-year absence, with a brief loan spell in 2010/11.

In another Welsh international transfer, Ethan Ampadu has bid farewell to Chelsea and found a permanent home at Leeds. At the age of only 22, Ampadu has already experienced four consecutive loan spells before settling down at his new club.

Leicester City has made two major signings from England, Harry Winks and Conor Coady. Coady, who was part of Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad last year, joins the team. Additionally, there are expected to be several more significant signings before the transfer window closes.

Eight games kicking off at 3pm on Saturday

At 3pm on Saturday, the majority of the Championship excitement unfolds as eight games begin simultaneously.

Stay updated by tuning in to Soccer Saturday on We News starting from 12pm or by following our dedicated EFL live blog on our website and app.

Opening Saturday fixtures

Upcoming Sky Bet Championship fixtures this Saturday:

- Blackburn vs West Brom at 3pm

- Bristol City vs Preston at 3pm

- Middlesbrough vs Millwall at 3pm

- Norwich vs Hull at 3pm

- Plymouth vs Huddersfield at 3pm

- Watford vs QPR at 3pm

- Stoke vs Rotherham at 3pm

- Swansea vs Birmingham at 3pm

Watch free Championship highlights

If you happen to miss your team's match or simply want to catch up, rest assured that we have got you covered with free match highlights from all Sky Bet Championship fixtures. These highlights will be available shortly after the final whistle blows.

Every 3pm kick-off will be available here from 5.15pm.