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Much has changed at Rochdale (left) and York City (right) since they secured promotions back to the EFL in dramatic circumstances last season
ByIan Woodcock
BBC Sport England
There are still two weeks until the first league game of the season but the 2026-27 EFL campaign gets under way in a quiet fashion this weekend.
Tranmere Rovers host Rochdale on Saturday to kick things off in a Carabao Cup preliminary tie.
Dale's fellow EFL returnees York City welcome Crawley Town on Monday in the other additional tie required because, for the second successive campaign, there are nine Premier League teams in Europe.
The two winners of the preliminaries will enter the first round proper next week alongside all the other teams in the Championship, League One and League Two.
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Winning the National League title in his first season in charge was not enough to prevent Stuart Maynard being forced to say his goodbyes to York City this summer
York City v Crawley Town - Monday, 3 August (19:30 BST)
Monday's tie against the Red Devils will be York's first competitive match since the dramatic final day of the National League season.
The Minstermen visited title rivals Rochdale needing to avoid defeat to end their 10-year EFL hiatus.
After a fraught 90 minutes it was the hosts who looked to have secured the lone automatic promotion spot when Emmanuel Dieseruvwe headed home in stoppage time to spark wild celebrations and a pitch invasion from home fans.
However, in the 13th minute of time added on, Josh Stones scored to level and send Stuart Maynard's men up instead.
Maynard, though, will not be on the sidelines on Monday.
In a shock development, the former Notts County boss, who led the club to a 108-point season, was sacked earlier this week and replaced by ex-Crawley head coach Scott Lindsey.
"We recognise that, from the outside, this may look like a strange or difficult decision to understand," York's owners said in the announcement of Maynard's departure.
Six days after taking charge, Lindsey will now look to lead his new side to a victory over the club he guided to promotion to League One just over two years ago.
In the time since, Lindsey left Crawley and then returned, only to be unable to save them from relegation from the third tier and, then, last season he was sacked in March after a 10-match winless run.
Former Turkey international forward Colin Kazim-Richards was appointed until the end of the season and, after keeping Crawley up with a final-day point against Salford, was given a new deal in May.
The winner of this tie will face a trip to Championship side Watford in the southern section of the draw on Saturday, 8 August.
New faces in dugout but familiar ones on the pitch
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Darrell Clarke has managed almost 700 games since his first job at non-league Salisbury Town in 2010
Tranmere Rovers v Rochdale - Saturday, 1 August (15:00 BST)
Rochdale's return to the EFL after three seasons away proved to be every bit as gripping as York's.
After dusting themselves down from their final-day disappointment, Dale beat Scunthorpe in the play-offs to set up a promotion final against Boreham Wood at Wembley.
Goals from Matt Rush and Abdul Abdulmalik had Wood on course for a first-ever EFL promotion before Tyler Smith pulled one back with 13 minutes to go and, in the seventh minute of stoppage time, Dieseruvwe popped up again to send the game to extra time.
After a goalless 30 additional minutes, Jimmy McNulty's men triumphed 3-1 on penalties, with 18-year-old on-loan Manchester City goalkeeper Oliver Whatmuff making two crucial shootout saves.
Like fellow promoted side York, Dale also made a change in the dugout over the summer - though admittedly in very different fashion.
McNulty left to take over at League One play-off finalists Stockport and South Shields boss Ian Watson was appointed in his place.
Their opponents on Saturday also have a new man at the helm.
Tranmere, who avoided relegation to non-league by two points last season, have turned to former Bristol Rovers, Walsall, Port Vale, Cheltenham and Barnsley gaffer Darrell Clarke to try to turn their ailing fortunes around.
To that end he has brought in vastly experienced winger Tom Ince for his first ever spell in League Two.
The 34-year-old is a relative rookie, though, compared to legendary Dale striker Ian Henderson.
The 41-year-old, the club's all-time top scorer, signed a new deal earlier this month that will see him stay with the club beyond his 42nd birthday.
The winner of this tie will travel to League One club Bradford in the northern section of the draw on Saturday, 8 August.
