The Sky Bet Championship begins tomorrow night, with 24 teams setting out in the race for promotion to the Premier League. From Molineux to Cardiff, here is a look at the standout fixtures across the opening weekend.

After being relegated from the Premier League last season with only 20 points, Wolves will be aiming to make the ideal start to life back in the second tier when they open the campaign tomorrow night against Blackburn.

Wolves go into the new season after what looks, on paper, to have been a very impressive transfer window. That has included the return of Raul Jimenez and the signing of Kieran Trippier following the full-back’s departure from Newcastle United. Added to an already strong squad, that has left them as second favourites for the league title behind West Ham United.

Blackburn, meanwhile, are being widely tipped by supporters and pundits for relegation to League One, having survived by only five points last season.

Bristol City have invested heavily this summer after a managerial change, with Gerhard Struber dismissed in March and Michael Skubala coming in after an outstanding League One campaign with Lincoln City last term. His side collected 103 points and lost only five matches all season. Lorent Tolaj has made an immediate impact in pre-season and will now hope to carry that form into his first Championship game on Saturday afternoon.

Then there is Millwall, a team that will feel unfortunate not to be in the Premier League this season after their promotion challenge last time around. The Lions ended the campaign just one point behind Ipswich Town, missing out on the final day before then suffering a 2-0 aggregate defeat to Hull in the play-off semi-final. The Tigers, of course, went on to secure promotion to the top flight.

It will also mark a return to Ashton Gate for Mark Sykes, who joined Millwall on a free transfer last month after his contract in the South West expired.

Both clubs will be targeting at least a top-eight finish this season, and this fixture could offer an early sign of whether they are capable of meeting that objective.

Middlesbrough have been the division’s biggest spenders this summer as they try to go one step further than last season and win promotion after their agonising 95th-minute play-off final defeat to Hull. The North East club have made eight signings so far, with the two headline arrivals being the permanent additions of Radek Vitek and Will Lankshear from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Both spent last season on loan in the Championship, with Vitek winning Player of the Season at Bristol City and Lankshear finishing as Oxford’s top scorer after striking 11 league goals for the relegated side.

As mentioned earlier, Lincoln won promotion to the second tier last season and will be eager to begin their Championship campaign well. Even so, one of the hardest possible tests appears to await them at 3pm on Saturday.

The other two teams relegated from the Premier League last season will meet at Turf Moor on Sunday, with West Ham viewed as favourites after confirming that club captain Jarrod Bowen will stay for at least another season in an effort to help guide the side back to the Premier League. Bowen is already being backed by many to win this season’s Championship golden boot, while The Hammers are favourites for the title. The recent arrival of Manor Soloman will only strengthen those hopes.

Burnley have had a worrying pre-season, failing to win any of their five matches before beating Notts County on penalties in the first round of the Carabao Cup last weekend. The lowest point for The Clarets came in Utah, where they suffered a 4-1 defeat to Salt Lake City, who are currently 5th in the MLS Western Conference. It feels as though if Burnley are to genuinely challenge Wolves, West Ham and Middlesbrough for automatic promotion, they must keep hold of Zian Flemming, who scored 11 Premier League goals last season and also found the net against Notts County, both in normal time and in the shootout.

A Welsh derby will bring the opening round of the season to a close on Monday night, with Cardiff hosting Wrexham in the capital for the first time since 2002, when The Bluebirds claimed a 3-2 win in front of a raucous crowd of 15,702 at Ninian Park. Wrexham were unlucky to miss the play-offs last season, finishing only two points behind 6th-placed Hull after occupying a play-off position for almost the entire campaign.

Cardiff, on the other hand, eased to promotion with 91 points, 14 more than 3rd-placed Stockport County, though still 12 fewer than champions Lincoln. There is a sense around Cardiff at present that more transfer business may be needed if they are to avoid an immediate return to the third tier this season, as they have brought in only two players so far in this window.