MANAGER Alan Knill believes the first 10 games of next season will give a fair indication of how Scunthorpe United will fare back in League One.

Four of those are against teams likely to be viewed as favourites for promotion.

They include home fixtures with Preston and Sheffield United, the two teams relegated with the Iron from the Championship last season, and tough trips to Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday.

"All games next season will be difficult, there are no easy ones," said Knill.

"But those first 10 will all give us a fair idea of where we are.

"They will provide us with a good test."

Knill always insisted he was not bothered whether United were at home or away on the opening day of the new campaign.

So he will not be fazed by a first day visit to Wycombe – a team he knows well from League Two last season where they and his old club Bury filled the two promotion places behind champions Chesterfield.

"They are a really good side and in Gary Waddock have a really good manager," said Knill.

"He did well at Aldershot to bring them back into the Football League.

"And though he was unable to save Wycombe from being relegated from League One in his first season there, they have regrouped under him and come back stronger.

"Bournemouth and Rochdale both did well in League One last season after being promoted.

"Wycombe away will be a difficult game for us, but I have a feeling they will be thinking the same about us – that we will be a difficult game for them."

Knill admitted that the first matches he looked for when the Football League fixtures came out yesterday were the two against his old club Bury.

The first meeting is not until Boxing Day when the Shakers visit Glanford Park.

Knill does not make the trip back to Gigg Lane until March 20 when he might receive a hostile reaction from the home fans after quitting promotion-chasing Bury towards the end of last season.

"I think it's natural you look for your former club when the fixtures come out," the United boss continued.

"But once I found out when we were playing them, that was it.

"I am sure other people might make more of this than me.

"I have moved on now and I am good at leaving that sort of thing behind me.

"I had a good squad at Bury and I am looking forward to meeting them again.

"But I am here now and I have got a good squad at Scunthorpe.

"To be honest it did not fuss me when we had to play against them."