League One's new season brings a striking storyline at the top: a former Premier League title winner competing in the third tier. Leicester City, champions of England just a decade ago, begin 2026-27 under Russell Martin with a squad stripped of its highest earners but still carrying genuine quality. The question is whether that quality is enough to get out of this division at the first attempt.

Leicester: quality enough, if Martin can focus it

Chronic mismanagement brought Leicester down here, and Martin's immediate task is cultural as much as tactical. Many of the club's top earners have moved on, and the summer recruitment has been modest. Yet the squad is not bare. Harry Souttar offers experience and physicality at the back, while Stephy Mavididi can hurt defences at this level. Around them, Martin is expected to lean on a group of younger players who have been waiting for a genuine opportunity. Give them one consistent system and a settled environment, and Leicester have the ceiling to challenge for automatic promotion. The market and most observers already have them as one of the division's front-runners.

That expectation brings its own pressure. This is a squad in transition, not a finished article, and the relentlessness of a 46-game League One campaign has caught out better-resourced clubs before. Martin will know that from his time in the game. A slow start could make for a nervy autumn.

Notts County: a tough ask after last season's draw with the Foxes

Notts County opened the campaign with a creditable draw against Leicester, which showed character, but the wider preview picture is less encouraging. The club sent loanee Reynolds to Grimsby for the season, a move that signals a trimming of the wage bill rather than an ambitious push for the top six. County are expected to find it difficult, and nothing in their summer business suggests those expectations are wrong. Survival and consolidation look like realistic aims rather than a play-off push.

AFC Wimbledon: learning on the job

AFC Wimbledon are bracketed alongside County among those who could struggle. The Dons will work hard, they always do, but the squad depth required to sustain a promotion challenge or even a comfortable mid-table season looks thin. The opening weeks of the campaign will quickly tell us whether this is a side that can adapt or one that will be looking nervously over its shoulder toward the relegation places.

Where does this leave the division?

Leicester aside, League One 2026-27 looks genuinely competitive. Stockport, freshly managed by Jimmy McNulty after a play-off final defeat, have restructured with purpose. Sheffield Wednesday's signing of Louie Barry signals intent under new ownership, even if assembling a coherent squad has been complicated. Luton, with Jack Wilshere now settled and Kasey Palmer added permanently, will aim to go one better than last term. Bradford and Reading are both considered capable of pushing into the top six.

Further down, Huddersfield, MK Dons and Barnsley each carry hope without the same weight of expectation. Oxford, with Aaron Ramsey beginning his first senior management role, are the wild card: a squad in flux but a name that will attract attention throughout the season.

For the three clubs at the heart of our coverage, the 2026-27 story is already clearly drawn. Leicester must turn historical prestige into third-tier efficiency. Notts County and AFC Wimbledon must find a way to prove the doubters wrong. Forty-six games will deliver the verdict.

Frequently asked

Will Leicester City win promotion from League One in 2026-27?
Most observers tip Leicester as one of the favourites for automatic promotion under Russell Martin. They retain quality players such as Harry Souttar and Stephy Mavididi, though the squad is in transition and the 46-game League One season can expose any squad with too little depth.
How are Notts County expected to do in League One 2026-27?
Notts County are expected to have a difficult season. The club loaned out Reynolds to Grimsby, suggesting a focus on trimming costs rather than building for a promotion push, and pre-season assessments place them among the potential strugglers.
Are AFC Wimbledon at risk of relegation from League One this season?
AFC Wimbledon are rated among the clubs who could find the season tough. Squad depth is a concern, and while the club is known for its work ethic, the early weeks of the campaign will be important in determining whether they can stay comfortable or face a relegation battle.