EFL fixtures released on Wednesday morning

The fixtures for the 2024-25 English Football League season will be released at 09:00 BST on Wednesday.

Relegated Premier League sides Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton are joined in the Championship by promoted Portsmouth, Derby and Oxford.

In League One, Birmingham will be looking to secure an immediate return to the second tier after dropping to the third division for the first time since 1991-92, while Hollywood-backed Wrexham are targeting a third successive promotion.

Bromley will be making their EFL debut after winning the National League promotion final last month.

All fixtures will be on the BBC Sport website and app as soon as they are announced.

The draw for the first round of the Carabao Cup will be held at 11:30 BST on Thursday.

When does the EFL season start?

The regular season will begin on the weekend of 10-11 August and run until 3 May, 2025.

The 46 rounds of games in the Championship will be played across 33 weekends, nine midweek programmes and four bank holidays.

Both League One and League Two are due to be played over 36 weekends, six midweeks and four bank holidays.

A new £935m five-year deal between the EFL and Sky Sports means that 1,059 EFL matches are set to be broadcast - four times more than now.

What should you look out for?

Can relegated Premier League sides bounce back?

Last season saw the three teams who had been promoted from the Championship all relegated straight back. Before 2023-24 that had not happened since Barnsley, Bolton and Crystal Palace all immediately went down in 1997-98. Of the three, Sheffield United and Luton will start the new campaign with the same manager who was in charge when they went down, but Burnley boss Vincent Kompany left for German giants Bayern Munich and, at present, no replacement has been appointed.

High hopes at promoted sides

Portsmouth, Derby and Oxford will all be buoyed by seeing Ipswich win promotion to the Premier League last season, having only gone up from League One 12 months before. However, all three will be initially aiming for Championship stability this time around, especially Oxford who are in the second tier for the first time since 1999.

In League One, Wrexham are hoping to go back-to-back-to-back under Phil Parkinson and Chesterfield return to the EFL looking to build on the momentum that saw them romp to the National League title last time out.

New faces

Norwich City sacked boss David Wagner after they were thumped 4-0 by Leeds in the Championship play-off semi-final and 35-year-old Dane Johannes Hoff Thorup will look to lead the Canaries back up to the Premier League.

Hull City parted company with Liam Rosenior after they just missed out on a spot in the play-offs and German Tim Walter will look to go at least one step further.

Sunderland ended their four-month search for a successor to Michael Beale when they appointed Frenchman Regis Le Bris as their new boss at the weekend.

Birmingham City have turned to former Tottenham assistant Chris Davies to lead them back to the Championship after relegation last time out.

In League Two, Bromley are entering unchartered territory as they begin their first ever campaign in the EFL after beating Solihull Moors on penalties at Wembley last month.

Rooney returns

England legend Wayne Rooney is back for his third spell managing in the EFL.

Rooney was appointed Plymouth Argyle boss after they narrowly avoided relegation last season and will hope to make a good start after his disastrous spell in charge of Birmingham City last season where he won just two of 15 matches.

In League One, Rotherham re-appointed Steve Evans before last season was over and will hope he can guide them out of the third tier for the second time.

Morecambe have hired Derek Adams as manager for a third time. The Scot left the Lancashire side to take over at Scottish Premiership club Ross County in November last year but quit in February and is now back with the League Two outfit.