Hatters boss Bloomfield expecting tough Friday night test from newly-promoted Wimbledon
Boss Matt Bloomfield is anticipating a 'tough game' for his Luton Town team as they host AFC Wimbledon in the Sky Bet League One curtain-raiser at Kenilworth Road on Friday night (ko 8pm).
There may have been two divisions separating the sides just a matter of months ago, but they are now operating at the same level following the Hatters' relegation from the Championship and the Dons' promotion from league two via the play-offs at the end of May.
The Hatters, who were in a Premier League club just 15 months ago, start the campaign as one of the big favourites to win promotion back to the second tier at the first attempt.
They are also red-hot favourites with the bookies to start the new season with three points in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Friday.
But, with 10 players having left the club over the summer and eight new faces coming in, Bloomfield is warning his new-look team against any sort of first night complacency.
"We are just going to go about our work in an orderly manner, and try to approach every game with the belief that we can win," said the Hatters boss ahead of the big kick-off.
"But no game is going to be easy, starting with Friday night against AFC Wimbledon, who have just been promoted.
"Johnnie (Jackson) has done a great job there, they are going to have the momentum of the promotion coming up to a new level.
"We know this is going to be a tough game for us."
Bloomfield is well versed with what it takes to excel in league one, having guided Wycombe Wanderers to second in the third tier before leaving Adams Park to take over at Luton in January.
It is a league he knows very well, and he knows it is going to be ultra-competitive again, with a string of other former Premier League clubs in the mix, such as Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City, Wigan Athletic and more.
There are also clubs with plenty of ambition and backing, such as Stockport County and another side relegated last term, Plymouth Argyle, but Bloomfield insists he is not worried about what any of those clubs are doing.
He is focused solely on what Luton Town can control.
"I am not going to start naming names of teams who I fear," said Bloomfield. "I think it's really important we focus on ourselves and what job we have to do.
"The minute I start naming other teams that we are fighting for promotion with, it gives us something to fall from.
"There have been a lot of signings in league one, a lot of clubs that have spent big sums of money, but we are concentrating on ourselves and are happy with the business we have done - but we do hope to do a little bit more."