Leeds United are gearing up for the new Championship season with Daniel Farke set to be confirmed as the Whites' new manager. Former Norwich City head coach Farke will arrive at Elland Road needing to hit the ground running, with less than a month to prepare for the new campaign.
Some of the traditional summer milestones - such as the publication of the club's retained list and fixture release day - are already firmly in the rearview mirror at this point. And another important staging post passed this week as the players returned for pre-season.
The German will have a packed schedule when he takes over, and here are some key dates in his diary ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Pre-season training
Leeds players are due to regroup at Thorp Arch for pre-season training tomorrow.
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The majority of teams in the second tier returned for pre-season training last week but Leeds' later start is explained by the fact that the Premier League campaign finished almost three weeks later than the final day of the Championship season.
The players reported to Leeds Beckett University on Monday for the usual round of weigh-ins and testing as the club's medical staff assess the condition of each player upon their return.
But next up is some serious fitness work, and the lengthy running sessions that are viewed by most players as their least favourite part of pre-season.
With only a week between the first day of pre-season and the club's first pre-season game, however, it won't be long before they are back working with the ball and working towards some match sharpness.
Friendlies
Talking of friendlies, Leeds have so far confirmed three pre-season outings with more likely to be added in the coming days and weeks.
The Whites will kick-off their pre-season in Oslo, Norway, against Manchester United next week before returning to the UK to face French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco in York, and then heading to Scotland to take on Hearts at Tynecastle.
The games we know about so far are:
Wednesday, July 12: Manchester United (Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo) 4pm
Saturday, July 22: AS Monaco (LNER Community Stadium, York) 4pm
Sunday, July 30: Heart of Midlothian (Tynecastle, Edinburgh) 3pm
Transfer window
The transfer window opened on June 14, but as yet Leeds have not made any new additions and there have been just a a couple of departures with Tyler Roberts leaving for Birmingham City and Alfie McCalmont heading to Carlisle United.
With a takeover still grinding its way through the works, director of football Victor Orta having departed, and no head coach in place until today, it is perhaps hardly surprising that transfer activity has been thin on the ground up to now.
But with Farke in post Leeds will have to step things up - and quickly - if they are to bring in reinforcements ready for the new season, and if they are to give their new boss some time to work with those new faces.
And all their summer business must be complete by the end of transfer deadline day which will fall on Friday, September 1, with an 11pm cut-off.
New season
All the pre-season preparation builds to a focal point, and in Leeds' case that comes on 2.30pm on Sunday, August 6, against Cardiff City at Elland Road, when their promotion bid will get underway in front of the Sky TV cameras.
After that, the Whites have a midweek Carabao Cup first-round game against League One Shrewsbury Town to deal with, before continuing their Championship campaign with a trip to St Andrew's to take on Birmingham.
A home game against West Brom followed by a visit to Portman Road to face newly-promoted Ipswich Town round out August, with a derby game at Elland Road against Sheffield Wednesday in early September the final game before the international break.
