Championship preview: Fulham well placed while pressure on Leeds United and Marcelo Bielsa

A look at who is contention to win promotion to the Premier League for the 2020/21 campaign

Fulham's hopes of returning to the Premier League at the first attempt have been boosted by keeping hold of Aleksandar Mitrovic. Getty

The battle to reach the promised land begins again on Friday evening.

The Championship is back, its reputation for toughness and unpredictability enhanced by last season, when few tipped Norwich City or Sheffield United to win automatic promotion.

A division featuring 19 former Premier League clubs offers the ultimate prize, but it is a league where most think they have a chance:

The relegated clubs

Fulham had a wretched time in the Premier League, but with Scott Parker appointed manager, both Tom Cairney and Aleksandar Mitrovic signing new deals and Ivan Cavaleiro and Anthony Knockaert exciting arrivals with promotion-winning pedigree, they are fancied to bounce back at the first attempt to the top flight.

Cardiff City have a promotion specialist, in manager Neil Warnock, and have added goalscoring defender Aden Flint, while Huddersfield Town have retained Aaron Mooy.

But in the last nine seasons, only two relegated teams have won automatic promotion.

The potential challengers

Leeds United have been installed as favourites after signing Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Helder Costa and keeping Marcelo Bielsa, though there are questions if the Argentinian’s intensity means he is better suited to generating an initial impact.

United came third last season and topped enough statistical categories to suggest they were the division’s best team, but lacked a clinical finish and lost their way in the run-in.

West Bromwich Albion were other play-off semi-finalists but lost Dwight Gayle, Jay Rodriguez and Harvey Barnes, scorers of 54 goals last season and not properly replaced.

Brentford, often a selling club, have kept the potent pair of Neal Maupay and Said Benrahma and bought Leeds defender Pontus Jansson.

Stoke City underachieved hugely to come 16th last season but possess one of the most talented squads while Bristol City have shown ambition in the £8 million (Dh35.5m) club record buy of Tomas Kalas.

The promoted clubs

Luton were in non-league as recently as 2013-14 but won League One last season and have appointed Roberto Martinez’s long-time assistant Graeme Jones as manager.

Barnsley came up under Daniel Stendel and, as Daniel Farke (Norwich) and David Wagner (Huddersfield) show, German managers can prosper in the Championship.

Lee Bowyer’s Charlton Athletic won the play-offs but have since lost two of their best players, Patrick Bauer and Joe Aribo.

The managerial newcomers

Slaven Bilic was a leftfield choice by West Brom, with a lower budget and a smaller squad but plenty of charisma.

Sabri Lamouchi has replaced Martin O’Neill at Nottingham Forest after the Northern Irishman’s homecoming was an unhappy affair; the Frenchman’s squad has a growing Portuguese flavour.

Another club to part company with a veteran after missing out on the play-offs was Middlesbrough. Jonathan Woodgate replaces Tony Pulis, charged with improving the attacking efforts, while ideally retaining the same fine defensive record.

Steve Cooper, England’s Under-17 World Cup-winning manager, was a surprise choice to replace Graham Potter at Swansea City, who have lost key players such as Daniel James.

So have play-off finalists Derby County, now without Harry Wilson, Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and manager Frank Lampard, so Phillip Cocu faces a rebuilding job.

Grant McCann is in charge of Hull City, who have kept more players than expected.

Mark Warburton has taken over at Queens Park Rangers while former assistant Pep Clotet is in charge at Birmingham City after Garry Monk’s acrimonious sacking.

And Sheffield Wednesday, who had looked promotion possibilities, are without a manager after Steve Bruce left.

Signings to watch out for

Everton’s Kieran Dowell is the latest Premier League prodigy to be loaned by Derby, while Leeds have borrowed Jack Clarke back from Tottenham Hotspur.

The experienced duo of Stewart Downing and Bradley Johnson have joined Blackburn Rovers while David Nugent has re-signed for Preston North End.

One of the division’s best goalkeepers, David Marshall, has joined Wigan Athletic while Charlie Adam’s move to Reading raised eyebrows, though not necessarily in a good way.

Not a signing Millwall’s pragmatists would have made.