Leeds United will travel to the City Ground on Saturday to take on Nottingham Forest in their opening Premier League game of the campaign.
The club surprised several naysayers by securing Premier League survival with games to spare last season, finishing 14th in the final Premier League table.
Surviving again and reestablishing themselves as a Premier League side will remain the club’s biggest goal this season, but the club are keen to take the next step in their development too.
Leeds’ recruitment this summer has shown major ambition for the future, and a trip to the City Ground to take on Forest will be a test of how far the club have come over the summer.
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Key announcement made for Forest vs Leeds
The Premier League has announced the match officials for the opening weekend of the season as top-flight action returns to these shores in the coming days.
Rob Jones will take centre stage at the City Ground on Saturday and will be the referee for the Forest vs Leeds game this weekend.
He was in charge of the pulsating 3-3 draw Leeds played out against Chelsea last season, which showed that the Whites can hang with the big boys of the Premier League.
Nick Greenhalgh and Alistair Nelson will be his assistants for the game, while Gavin Ward will be in charge of keeping things calm in the technical area as the fourth official.
Experienced Premier League referee Craig Pawson will be the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), and Ian Hussin will be the assistant VAR.
Forest and Leeds will hope that their players hit the headlines after the game for their performances rather than the referees for their in-game decisions.
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Can Leeds think about Europe next season?
European football should not be the expectation for Leeds United next season. Their first job is to establish themselves in the Premier League and make sure they are nowhere near another relegation battle.
That said, there is nothing wrong with dreaming big. Leeds have shown plenty of ambition in the transfer market this summer and are expected to strengthen further before the window closes.
With so many clubs around them spending heavily, even breaking into the top half will be a difficult task. But Leeds showed plenty of resilience and character last season and have added more quality to their squad this summer.
If a few of the established sides underperform and an opportunity opens up, Leeds could find themselves in the mix. A top-eight finish could potentially bring European football, and the Whites are one of the teams who could take advantage if the door opens.
