EXCITED Michael Carrick is delighted Middlesbrough are kicking off the Championship campaign at the Riverside.

Promotion hopefuls Boro start with a home game against Swansea, and while Carrick admits preparing for the opening weekend can be difficult, he's pleased that his side are getting their campaign underway on Teesside.

That is followed by a trip to newly promoted Derby County and Carrick expects the Rams to be fired up for their first home game back in the Championship after two seasons in League One.

Boro's players returned to Rockliffe for the start of pre-season on Monday with preparations to ramp up over the coming weeks.

"We've had a nice break and a bit of a breather but this is the next thing you look forward to," said the head coach.

"There's an excitement because we find out what's ahead of us, who we're playing, when we're playing them. There's a similar feeling to the fans, we have to be a bit more business like but it still gives you a sense that the new season is around the corner. It's fresh, exciting, we're looking forward to it."

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Asked what he looks out for when the fixtures are released, Carrick told the club website: "Honestly, nothing in particular. Maybe the start, what does it look like, the start and the end, hopefully we're fighting for something at the end. What does the end look like even though it's hard to tell what teams will be fighting for?

"You play what's in front of you and get on with it. It's not a massive deal but at the same point it doesn't stop us from looking forward to it."

Opening weekend opponents Swansea finished 14th last season, 12 points adrift of Boro, with Luke Williams preparing for his first full season in charge.

Carrick said: "It's nice to start at home. The first game you can look at in all sorts of ways. There's a little bit of an unknown, you can read into pre-season what you can but the first two or three games in terms of us looking at the opposition it's a bit more challenging because you're guessing a little bit and looking at pre-season, when you can't always see the true picture.

"In terms of preparation, it's fresh and new. We look forward to the game. Then as the season progresses you build a bit of a catalogue and library of what other teams look like and what they're trying to do. Then the preparation maybe adapts a bit."

The trip to Derby is Boro's first away game of the season, which is followed by the visit of Portsmouth, another newly promoted side.

"It's definitely a challenge (facing the promoted sides)," said Carrick.

"Just because they've come up it doesn't mean they're a certain part of the ladder. You can't judge it like that. Ipswich showed that. We have to take it for what it is, it's another game. It's Derby's' first home game, they'll be up for that.

"There are different challenges along the way but there's a slight unknown because we haven't played against them for some time."

Boro host Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day and are at home again on December 29 against Burnley.

Carrick said: "You can't hide from the fact if you're at home (over Christmas) it's a bit easier to deal with. If you're away you get on with it.

"But to be at home on Boxing Day and the 29th is a good period. It's not really congested this year, it's not far off a normal week in terms of spread.

Boro face a trip to previous play-off rivals Coventry on the final day of the season, which follows the visit of Norwich in what is the final home game of the campaign. Both the Sky Blues and the Canaries will be aiming for promotion this season but Carrick admits it's far too early to determine how difficult - or not - Boro's run-in will be.

He said: "You look at what the run-in looks like but you're guessing really. But there are some teams you'd expect to be up and around the top of the league and we're hoping to be up and around the top of the league, so maybe it will come into play.

"There's a lot of football to play before then."