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.
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.
![Cardiff City's first three games include Leeds on the opening day and Leicester City. Fortunately they've also got Sheffield Wednesday and QPR to break things up into more manageable chunks. Still, not ideal. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmJkOWViMGUxLWQyNzEtNGZkZS04MWU0LWFkNWE1ODliNzgzYzo3YjAwNzQ2MS02Yzg2LTQ4MzctOTkxNC03ZTMzMGM3M2U4Nzc=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
7. Cardiff City: 18th
Cardiff City's first three games include Leeds on the opening day and Leicester City. Fortunately they've also got Sheffield Wednesday and QPR to break things up into more manageable chunks. Still, not ideal. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Photo: Stu Forster
![Watford, Southampton and Boro in your opening five makes for difficult reading if you're a QPR fan. (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjY0MGI0MDNmLWUwNDYtNDEyNS1hMjVlLTQzMmE0YjhhYjc3ZTpmMjI0YzkwMS1mOGNjLTQ4MzYtODMxZi05MmMxMDNjNDYwMDg=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
8. QPR: 17th
Watford, Southampton and Boro in your opening five makes for difficult reading if you're a QPR fan. (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images) Photo: Paul Harding
![The Black Cats' first three aren't awful, but their clashes with Coventry and Southampton in matchweek four and five will separate the men from the boys. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjM1OGU1YmI0LTQ2MTYtNDAzMC04M2M2LTkwNDdiNjE2YTE5OTpiMjA3ZWVmZC1mNzY4LTQ3ZWEtOWJhZS1jY2RiNTgxOTcwODg=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
9. Sunderland: 16th
The Black Cats' first three aren't awful, but their clashes with Coventry and Southampton in matchweek four and five will separate the men from the boys. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) Photo: George Wood
![Hull's opener is against Norwich, while they will also play Leicester early on. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmY4ODllZTY5LWU5NWYtNGI0Ni1iZmIzLWU4YjI1MmJiOTVlYzo4ZTVhNDdlNi02YjM5LTQzMGMtYTNjNC1lNTJmNmVkODQzN2Q=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
10. Hull City: 15th
Hull's opener is against Norwich, while they will also play Leicester early on. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images) Photo: Lewis Storey
![Steven Schumacher's plucky Plymouth begin with a winnable contest versus Huddersfield, before a Watford-Southampton double header in the following weeks. Luckily, they have Birmingham after that, followed by Blackburn. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjBlNGVhMDA2LTdjOWItNDg5NS1iNDM1LWIxNTFmOWFlZmVjNjoyNTMyNTgyMC0yYThjLTQyN2UtOGUwNC05YTQ2NjA0OTMyZjA=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
11. Plymouth Argyle: 14th
Steven Schumacher's plucky Plymouth begin with a winnable contest versus Huddersfield, before a Watford-Southampton double header in the following weeks. Luckily, they have Birmingham after that, followed by Blackburn. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Photo: Gareth Copley
![The Robins have a decidedly mid-table set of fixtures to kick off 2023/24: Preston, Millwall, Birmingham, Hull and Swansea. All of the big boys avoided. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjUwY2I2OWNlLTM2MzUtNDIzYy05OTBiLWQ1ZmE3ODg2MGVmNjpmZTVkN2UzZC1kMWJhLTQ1YmQtODQzNy0yM2RlZGQyYTdkYWI=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
12. Bristol City: 13th
The Robins have a decidedly mid-table set of fixtures to kick off 2023/24: Preston, Millwall, Birmingham, Hull and Swansea. All of the big boys avoided. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) Photo: Catherine Ivill