Lincoln City are set to kick-start a new era as they begin a historic season playing in the EFL Championship by travelling to the Riverside Stadium to face Middlesbrough. The new campaign marks the Imps' return to the second division of English football for the first time since 1961, as they prepare for the difficult challenge with new bosses Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw. Both former assistant head-coaches took over from Michael Skubala this summer as the 43-year-old departed the club at the end of May, joining league rivals Bristol City after just over two-and-a-half years in Lincolnshire. He wasn't the only notable loss for the Imps, with playmaker and key man Jack Moylan leaving to join Cardiff City for an undisclosed club record fee last week after finishing as the sides joint top goalscorer in the league last season with 11 goals. However, that certainly hasn't overshadowed the unbelievably positive feeling surrounding the club going into the 2026/27 campaign, with last year's phenomenal performances helping them top Sky Bet League One on 103 points. Fans of the Imps will be hoping the team can start the new season exactly how they finished last despite the obvious step up in quality, with the side still currently on a remarkable, record-breaking 29 game unbeaten run in the league. Whether Lincoln can carry on that incredible record in the Championship is another question, as avoiding defeat on opening day against Middlesbrough, who narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League last term after losing to Hull City in the play-off final, would be a great achievement in itself. Ahead of the first game of the new campaign, the Imps had a turbulent pre-season which involved a 5-1 loss to Lincolnshire rivals Grimsby Town and a 3-0 defeat at the hands of League One side Barnsley. Despite this, there were some positive results as City were able to see off both Boston United and Doncaster Rovers by a scoreline of 1-0, whilst most notably progressing past Championship rivals Derby County in the first round of the Carabao Cup following a 2-1 win at Pride Park. To help them on their escapade in the second division, Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw have already welcomed five new faces to their squad this summer. The first player to make the move to Sincil Bank was Callum Elder, with the left-back joining as a free agent at the end of June and bringing in vital Championship experience – having most notably played for Derby County and Hull City. City fans would have to wait a full month before the club announced their next signing, however it proved to be worth the wait as 22-year-old Romania international centre-back Andrei Coubiș joined for a club record fee. Three loan deals have been wrapped up since then, with goalkeeper Joe Gauci along alongside forwards Mason Melia and Tanto Olaofe all making the move to Sincil Bank to provide some quality squad depth. Being able to keep hold of the majority of their standout stars from last season, and bringing a handful of excellent reinforcements so far this window has put City in a strong position ahead of the new campaign. And if the Imps do find themselves fighting their way up the table, the Championship's biggest change means that the play-offs have expanded from four teams to six (third place down to eighth), which could prove to be very beneficial to them… But let's not get too carried away!