On the eve of the new campaign, KweséESPN profiles five new faces or returning players who we're tipping to make their mark in the second tier.

Kamohelo Mokotjo: In recent years, the Championship has begun to lose its tag of being a 'muck and nettles' league, with more teams achieving success the 'right way', by playing attractive football, focusing on technical qualities and getting the ball down on the ground.

Brentford, with the likes of Jota, Ryan Woods and Sergi Canos on their books, are among the best examples of the changing face of the league.

In this context, Mokotjo should fit in seamlessly.

The South Africa international was the sixth most successful passer in the Eredivisie last term, and surely Dean Smith sees him as the Bees' new deep-lying architect in chief.

Mokotjo can also win back the ball - he was in the top 15 in the Netherlands for interceptions last season - and could be one of the division's standout players.

Famara Diedhiou: You suspect Bristol City may have some kind of loyalty card with Angers considering how often the Robins can be found shopping in that particular corner of the Pays de la Loire.

They signed Jonathan Kodjia two years ago, and he proved to be such a resounding success that he was duly nabbed by Aston Villa.

Last season, the inspired loan addition of Tammy Abraham from Chelsea proved a masterstroke by Lee Johnson as his goals kept City clear of relegation.

This summer, however, with Abraham having returned to his parent club, they were forced to return to Angers to do their striker shopping.

Diedhiou - a club-record £5.3 million signing - is the man they've recruited, but while he's good, he has big shoes to fill; Kodjia and Abraham scored 42 goals between them for the Ashton Gate side in the last two campaigns.

Cheikh N'Doye: This is one summer transfer that could go either way...and another one with an Angers connection.

N'Doye is a late bloomer, having only tasted top-flight football for the first time in 2015 when he left Creteil for Les Scoïstes.

However, he took to Ligue 1 readily, with his power and dynamism in midfield not only helping Angers steer well clear of relegation, but also reaching the French Cup final last season.

There aren't too many players who have only arrived in English football at the age of 31 and proved to be successes, but N'Doye - who only made his Senegal debut in 2014 - has proved before that he knows how to buck a trend.

Ahmed Elmohamady is no stranger to the Championship, having been promoted twice, but he returns to the second tier this season after being signed by Aston Villa from relegated Hull City.

At 29, Elmohamady still has some good years ahead of him, and his remarkable engine has shown little sign of slowing down in recent seasons...at least when he's been fit.

Most importantly, however, he brings experience, and should he go rampaging forward, he'll have John Terry, Christopher Samba, James Chester and Tommy Elphick to keep the Villa defence locked tight.

Moses Odubajo: Left behind at Hull, and set to capitalise on Elmohamady's exit, is Odubajo. The Nigerian wideman broke into the football league with Leyton Orient as a winger and then enjoyed success with Brentford after being converted into a full-back by the forward-thinking Mark Warburton.

He was a key man in the Hull side that won the playoffs in 2016, but missed out on the Premier League campaign entirely after suffering a serious knee injury in July last year.

Progress has been slow for Odubajo - new Hull coach Leonid Slutsky acknowledged recently that he'll only be back in action in the "winter months", but when he does return, it will feel 'like a new signing' for the Humberside heavyweights.