Everything you need to know about Championship fixture release day with Preston North End, Leeds United and Southampton all waiting

On Thursday morning, 9am, the EFL and all of their Championship, League One and League Two clubs will announce their fixture list in full.

North End will also find out who they face in the first round of the Carabao Cup that day, with the draw taking place on Sky Sports at 2:30pm.

The first round draw will see teams drawn in Northern and Southern sections, with matches scheduled to take place week commencing August 7.

There will be a total of 36 fixtures in the first round of the League Cup, with all 72 EFL clubs involved, before Premier League sides not competing in European competitions are entered in the second round, with the final sides not yet involved joining in the third round.

When it comes to the Championship season, North End’s campaign will most likely begin on Saturday August 5, with one game being shown live on TV on the Friday night to get the season underway. PNE will most likely be away from home for the curtain raiser, as they have requested such from the EFL to allow Liverpool to use Deepdale for a pre-season friendly.

They cannot however control where their second game of the season will be, that being the Carabao Cup first round game the midweek after their first Championship game (w/c August 7).

For the past two seasons, Preston have started their campaign against the League One champions, being given Wigan Athletic away on the opening day last term and Hull City at home the season before.

Should that be the case again, manager Ryan Lowe would face a reunion with former assistant Steven Schumacher and former club Plymouth Argyle who registered 101 points to top the third tier.

There are fewer derbies to look out for this season, with Blackpool and Wigan both relegated and Burnley sealing promotion back to the Premier League, there is only Blackburn Rovers that remain local to PNE.

West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City have been two festive fixtures for North End for the past two seasons, both landing in between Christmas and the New Year, and the first game of the New Year respectively.

It will be Preston’s ninth season back in the Championship, with seventh their highest finish so far in this stint.