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.
![Boro avoid most of the division's bigger threats early on, facing Millwall, Coventry, Huddersfield and QPR as well as a trying game against West Brom, no doubt. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjUxYjgwZDNlLTAzY2QtNDU4Ny1hZTM3LTk2MjhkZDE3YmEyYTphMjJmNDc5Mi05NTY2LTRlY2QtOTE1MS1lZjc0NmM3Mzg4MTY=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
19. Middlesbrough: 6th
Boro avoid most of the division's bigger threats early on, facing Millwall, Coventry, Huddersfield and QPR as well as a trying game against West Brom, no doubt. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Photo: Stu Forster
![Leicester City's start is one of the more straightforward on paper. They've got Huddersfield, Cardiff and Rotherham after the opening day when they will face Coventry. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjhhYTgyM2QyLTQwODAtNGQzNC05ZWNlLTU4MGQ5Njg2NDE2MTo0ODFjNWFiZi1kYTM4LTQ3NGMtOWZjMy01YjE3MDg2ZjcxYTY=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
20. Leicester City: 5th
Leicester City's start is one of the more straightforward on paper. They've got Huddersfield, Cardiff and Rotherham after the opening day when they will face Coventry. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) Photo: Michael Regan
![Watford's start sees them up against relegation candidates QPR and Plymouth to kick things off. Then it's Stoke, Blackburn and Coventry to make up their first five. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjIzNjIwYzZhLWExZDctNGYxOC04YzhiLWY4NzU0YmJlM2JhMjo5MjljMzhhNy04NzFjLTQ5Y2YtYjE4Zi0yMTUzY2MzNGE4ZTI=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
21. Watford: 4th
Watford's start sees them up against relegation candidates QPR and Plymouth to kick things off. Then it's Stoke, Blackburn and Coventry to make up their first five. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Photo: Richard Heathcote
![Rovers also face relegation threatened clubs in their first five: Rotherham and Plymouth - as well as Watford and West Brom, it must be said - await them in August and September. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjQ3MmQ5MGQ1LTFhYWUtNDRhOC1hNmI5LTFiMDg3ZWQwYWUxMzpmNTc2ZGI4NC1jYjRlLTRiOGYtODA2NC00YTA2ZjZjMzMwZWE=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
22. Blackburn Rovers: 3rd
Rovers also face relegation threatened clubs in their first five: Rotherham and Plymouth - as well as Watford and West Brom, it must be said - await them in August and September. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images) Photo: Alex Davidson
![Cardiff and Birmingham easing Leeds back into Championship life looks straightforward, but could prove very different if the Whites don't get their house in order. Newly-promoted Wednesday and Ipswich also await Leeds in their first five. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjA3NGM3MTc3LWQ5MDYtNDFmMC05NmNiLTVkNzZiMTRjNzU3YTo2ZmJiMjYxZC0xMmIyLTQ5NjktODVhYS03YWY3YWE1ZTkxYmM=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
23. Leeds United: 2nd
Cardiff and Birmingham easing Leeds back into Championship life looks straightforward, but could prove very different if the Whites don't get their house in order. Newly-promoted Wednesday and Ipswich also await Leeds in their first five. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Photo: Stu Forster
![The team with the least difficult start to the 2023/24 Championship campaign is Southampton whose meetings with Wednesday, Norwich, Plymouth, QPR and Sunderland gives them the opportunity to build a real platform early on. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjhlZjY3YjU0LWVhMTAtNGI1ZC05ODQyLTFlNjZmZTkzMjljMDpjYzhlYzkwYi05MDAxLTQ4NTktOGMxMi04NGFjZmVmMTBiNjg=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
24. Southampton: 1st (least difficult)
The team with the least difficult start to the 2023/24 Championship campaign is Southampton whose meetings with Wednesday, Norwich, Plymouth, QPR and Sunderland gives them the opportunity to build a real platform early on. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images) Photo: Charlie Crowhurst