Morning all! To the North-East we go for the first of a full 12-game schedule in the Championship today. Just half an hour until kickoff so let's get straight to the team news...

BORO XI: Given; Friend, Chalobah. Varga, Main, Graham, Woodgate, Butterfield, Kamara, Omeruo, Leadbitter

BORO SUBS: Dimi, Tomlin, Ledesma, Whitehead, Morris, Atkinson, Adomah

LEEDS XI: Butland; Peltier, Wootton, Pearce, Warnock, Kebe, Murphy, Austin, Stewart, McCormack, Hunt

LEEDS SUBS: Cairns, Smith, Poleon, Brown, Tonge, Mowatt, Zaliukas

The biggest news from those lineups is the Leeds debut for young England goalkeeper Jack Butland, who joined the club on loan from Stoke City a couple of days ago. He replaces the injured Paddy Kenny between the sticks for the visitors.

Elsewhere for Leeds, young right-back Sam Byram is also injured and replaced by Lee Peltier. Centre-back Tom Lees is missing for "family reasons" (@LUFC) while Danny Pugh is nowhere to be seen in the squad with Noel Hunt starting in his place.

For the hosts, creative duo Emmanuel Ledesma and Albert Adomah drop to the bench, with Jacob Butterfield and Kenneth Omerou brought into the starting XI. In defence, Ben Gibson was sent off against Watford last week so is suspended and replaced by Curtis Main in the lineup. On the bench, new signing Lee Tomlin is finally available after serving his suspension.

REFEREE WATCH! The man with the whistle today is Anthony Taylor.

It's surprising to see Tomlin not get the start as Boro have gone FIVE, yes five, games without finding the back of the net. Although they ended a run of three 0-0 draws last weekend, it was by losing 1-0 to Watford.

PREDICTION TIME! With just 10 minutes until we begin on Teesside, it's time for my pre-match prediction. Both sides have been very stubborn of late so I can't look past a low-scoring affair. 1-1 is my shout. (By saying this I'm hoping to be proved wrong and there to be a load of goals!)

The reverse fixture between these two went Leeds's way back in November. The Whites won 2-1 and were helped by the sending off of Boro keeper Jason Steele.

Steele isn't in goal today either as veteran Irishman Shay Given looks to keep another clean sheet. He's kept eight in 11 games since joining the club.

Moments before kickoff, click here to check out the latest table ahead of today's 12 games.

KICKOFF! We're underway at the Riverside, with Boro in their home kit of all-red while Leeds opt for their aqua blue away kit.

Leeds fans always travel in their numbers and plenty have made the trip to the North-East corner of Yorkshire:

Leeds fans at Middlesbrough today. #lufc pic.twitter.com/4gZFtJN3Vb — Football Away Days (@FBAwayDays) February 22, 2014

The first shot of the game comes from Kamara as he is given plenty of space 30 yards out and has a pop, but bobbles it comfortably wide.

Nasty-looking challenge from Warnock on Varga in the right corner that he somehow gets away with. It was right in front of the linesman and I can't believe that no free kick/yellow card is given.

BOOKING! It doesn't take long for the first card as Wootton is cautioned for sliding in late on Leadbitter in the middle.

It's been a tumultuous month for Leeds and prospective owner Massimo Cellino is watching today's match alongside his son in the stands. It's still expected to be a little while before the Football League makes a decision on whether the Italian should be allowed to gain control of the club.

A quick search on Twitter suggests that Leeds fans want Cellino to get a haircut. They're also likening him to a James Bond villain:

Cellino in the Boro ground. #lufc pic.twitter.com/7eHH6dFyrW

— Batesy⚽️ (@BatesyLufc) February 22, 2014

Leeds have the division's top scorer in Ross McCormack and the Scot has his first sight of goal as Hunt cuts it back to his strike partner. The angle is tight and McCormack has a go, but his shot is blocked.

CHANCE! Biggest opening so far as Stewart keeps the ball in in the left corner before whipping over a delicious low cross that is perfect for Hunt at the near post. The Irishman goes down though and feels that he should have a penalty. Replays show that Omerou did indeed clatter through the back of him and I have to say that Leeds should now be taking a penalty.

Warnock puts debutant Butland under unnecessary pressure by playing a heavy, bouncing backpass. The 20-year-old deals well with it though.

Unfortunately, this game has been just as I predicted so far: Very cagey. There's been just three shots and none of them have been on target.

Boro think that the ball has gone out on the touchline but the linesman is right there and says Kebe kept it in. Peltier sends over a cross but Stewart isn't alert at the back post and the ball zips out of play.

Boro are edging the possession count with 60% of the ball so far. You can see how stop-start the game has been by just how many throw-ins have been taken - 32. That's one for every minute of play. [yawns]

Another dodgy backpass for Butland to deal with but again he adjusts well, kneeing the ball up before hoofing the volley away.

Peltier is on the floor apparently injured but picks himself up quickly and doesn't need attention from the physio. Still very little else to talk about in this game with not a single shot on target.

BOOKING! It's now 1-1 on the card count though as a yellow is flashed Leadbitter's way for cynically bringing down the pacey Kebe.

JUST WIDE! By far the best effort of the game from Leeds midfielder Murphy. The ball was laid back to him 22 yards out and he whizzed a low shot just wide of Given's left-hand post.

With little to speak about at the Riverside, I might as well mention the weather and that's it's a nice day in North Yorkshire. Doesn't look so good down in Somerset for Yeovil-Doncaster at 3pm!

Pretty bleak at Yeovil today! #ytfc #drfc RT @drfc_official: view from the away end pic.twitter.com/IwhXnwCGl4 — Pascal Lemesre (@_PascalDL) February 22, 2014

SAVE! Spectacular-looking save from Butland as Butterfield dips a volley at goal from outside the area. A great hit from the Boro man but it was straight at the debutant, who made a comfortable save look especially good for the cameras.

Two minutes of time are added on at the end of the first half. Let's get this over with and get the two teams into the dressing room to be geed up.

Boro's scoreless run goes on. They've now not scored in 569 minutes, or nine-and-a-half hours. Sunderland loanee Danny Graham has barely been in the game at all up front.

What to say about that first period? Well, there's been two decent efforts, one for either side. For the hosts, Jacob Butterfield's dipping volley was turned over by Leeds debutant Jack Butland, while for the visitors Luke Murphy fizzed a low shot just wide.

It sums it up quite well that those two shots both came from outside the area. There's been little action inside the box so far. The one incident that did occur in the penalty area came in the 17th minute when Noel Hunt was seemingly fouled from behind by Chelsea loanee Kenneth Omerou in the area. For me, it was a penalty but it was one of those ones that would have surprised me had it been given as both men were challenging for the cross.

Boro's futility in front of goal will surely see new boy Lee Tomlin introduced from the bench sooner rather than later. At the other end of the field, the league's top scorer Ross McCormack has looked isolated and only had one shot, which was blocked.

As for Leeds, their best bet for a goal from the bench would be big striker Matt Smith. I'd expect Brian McDermott to introduce the target man for Hunt if they can't find the net in the first 20 minutes or so of the second half.

KICKOFF! We're back underway at the Riverside, with neither Karanka or McDermott deciding to make a change at the break.

Early impetus from the visitors as Kebe gets into the box and looks to cut back for Murphy, but the two players weren't on the same wavelength.

CLOSE! Oh Stephen Warnock, you lucky, lucky man! Friend whips over a dangerous cross from the left that Warnock tries to clear with his favoured left foot but gets it all wrong and swipes it straight at his own goal. Fortunately for him, it hits Butland in the midriff and Leeds survive.

CHANCE! We've probably had as much action in the first five minutes of the second half as the whole of the first! This time it's Leeds who threaten as Peltier nutmegs his man before clipping over a cross that Kebe can only flick well wide of the far post.

CHANCE! Best chance of the match for Boro. Leadbitter pings a deep cross to Main, who heads it high back into the area where Kamara is unmarked but air-kicks his volley. The ball then pops up for Graham, who tries an overhead effort but hits it straight at Butland.

This end-to-end start to the second half has really livened the crowd up, with the 3,000+ travelling Whites belting out 'Marching On Together'.

Unlucky for Butterfield. He turns quickly to get past Wootton, who can't risk a challenge as he's already been booked. The former Manchester United defender catches up with Butterfield, who then tries to cut back inside but slips over.

UPDATE: It's half time at Stamford Bridge in today's early Premier League kickoff between Chelsea and Everton. Open this link in a new tab for our updates of the second 45 in West London.

CHANCE! Another opening for Graham as he gets goalside of Pearce but can only blaze a volley over the bar.

Full-blooded, fair challenge from Warnock on Butterfield and the former comes off worse and could be seriously injured here.

Looks like Warnock may actually have a nosebleed as he is treated by the Leeds physio. Tomlin looks like he should be brought on, as expected, for Boro shortly.

Today's attendance at Middlesbrough is 20,424 with 3,211 #lufc fans — Leeds United FC (@LUFC) February 22, 2014

BORO SUB: Here comes Tomlin for his Boro debut, replacing Kei Kamara in attack. Just before the change, Main brought down a pass from Leadbitter before shooting well over the top from distance. Speculative, to say the least.

Austin steals the ball in midfield and has a great chance to slide in McCormack but plays it carelessly behind him. After that high-octane start to the second 45, it's been a little drab since.

BORO SUB: Another change from Karanka as he brings on exciting winger Albert Adomah for Curtis Main.

McCormack looks to take things into his own hands and wickedly fires at goal from 30 yards. It looks good in the air, but Given confidently lets it go past his near post.

Still no substitutions from visiting boss McDermott. I'd say that Smith would be a good option up front and his aerial presence might just win the game from a late set piece.

Boro are certainly looking to utilise Adomah's fresh legs up against the banged-up Warnock. He gets in behind the Leeds left-back and crosses invitingly across the area but there's no Boro player there.

BORO SUB: Third and final change for the home side as Ledesma replaces Butterfield.

CHANCE! Fantastic save from Butland! Boro subs Ledesma and Adomah linked up and should have scored. Ledesma clipped the ball over the top for Adomah, who chested it down but couldn't beat the brave Butland right in front of him. Superb goalkeeping.

LEEDS SUB: Kebe wins a corner but before it is taken McDermott makes the expected sub by sending on Matt Smith for Hunt.

Poor from Warnock as he fails to beat the first man with his corner. At least give the big man a chance!

Given makes a fabulous save to tip McCormack's snap volley onto the post. It wouldn't have counted anyway though as Taylor had whistled for a foul against Smith.

"ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK!" boom the Leeds fans as Peltier's long throw is flicked on by Smith. Kebe then digs it out into the six-yard box but it's behind McCormack and Boro hack clear.

The game has opened up as both sides realise that the next goal would probably be the winner. Boro have a half-chance as Leadbitter has plenty of room outside the area but curls it miles high and wide.

Soon after three minutes of time is added on, Boro come again on the attack through Adomah, who curls over an inviting cross that neither Graham or Tomlin can get their head to.

MISS! What a chance for Boro to snatch victory! Adomah is slipped in down the inside-left channel and should at least get it on target but slices high and wide of the near post. That should be that.

It went as predicted at the Riverside then, with Boro unable to score and Leeds content enough with a point.

The two goalkeepers are interviewed by Sky Sports News at the end of the action and Given praises man-of-the-match Butland for his display between the sticks. The debutant's save from Adomah was perhaps the most crucial moment of the match. For Given, it's his last match on loan from Aston Villa. He's done his job, keeping an impressive 10 clean sheets in 16 games but it's the Boro attack who have failed to score down the other end. They've now gone six games and over 10 hours without scoring. Dear me.

Before we go, here's a a look at the table ahead of 11 games kicking off at 3pm. Leeds climb up to 10th while Boro are up to 13th. They're unlikely to both still be in those positions come 5pm. Thanks for joining SM and if you want more live Championship action, look out for our updates on Brighton-Wigan starting at 2.30pm. Good afternoon!