Two sides separated by three points in the competitive fight for playoff places in the top half of the Championship table will meet on Wednesday, as Middlesbrough welcome Hull City to the Riverside Stadium.
The sides both head into the game on the back of consecutive defeats, leaving the visitors eighth but only outside the top six on goal difference, while their hosts sit three points worse off in 12th spot.
Match preview
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Middlesbrough return to the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday with the aim of bouncing back to winning ways in their hunt for a playoff place in the Championship again this season, having now fallen behind following consecutive defeats.
After bouncing back from a poor start to the campaign under Michael Carrick, the Teeside outfit quickly moved into the fight at the right end of the division, picking up eight wins from an 11-match span between late September and the end of November, culminating in a 4-0 thrashing of Preston North End to take their tally to 27 points from 18 outings as Isaiah Jones netted a brace alongside goals from Rav van den Berg and Alex Bangura.
That left Carrick's men within touching distance of the top six, but they have been unable to give their playoff hopes a further boost in the two attempts since, albeit in a particularly difficult pair of fixtures, having firstly fallen to a 3-2 defeat away at Leeds United as they played the final 30 minutes with 10 men after Emmanuel Latte Lath had kept them in the game with a brace.
Second-placed Ipswich Town were the latest visitors to the Riverside Stadium at the weekend, and Boro again came away empty-handed as the promotion-chasing away side left with a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Conor Chaplin and Omari Hutchinson either side of the interval.
Having now quickly dropped to 12th spot, given how tight the middle of the division is at this stage, but remaining just three points off the playoff places, Middlesbrough will be keen to arrest the start of a slump and make a return to winning ways on home turf on Wednesday with the chance to move level with Wednesday's opponents and narrow the gap to the top six again.
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In their way stand a Hull City side who are also aiming to bounce back from a disappointing pair of results and strengthen their own playoff bid in midweek, having enjoyed a positive start to the campaign under Liam Rosenior.
Following their 15th-placed finish last time around, the Tigers have remained around the top six for the entirety of the new term thus far, and a 1-0 victory over Huddersfield Town in early November saw them head into the latest international break with 26 points on the board from the opening 16 outings.
Rosenior's men would return to action in positive fashion at the end of last month too, drawing 2-2 away at Swansea City and beating Rotherham United 4-1 at home thanks to Jaden Philogene's brace and goals from Tyler Morton and Scott Twine to climb into the playoff places, but they were unable to extend that run any further, firstly suffering a 2-1 defeat at home to Watford despite Twine drawing them level early on as Wesley Hoedt netted a long-range goal for the visitors 16 minutes from time to ensure they took all three points.
A trip to 22nd-placed Queens Park Rangers then followed for the Yorkshire outfit, and they succumbed to consecutive league defeats for the first time this season, eventually losing 2-0 as Chris Willock opened the scoring for the hosts on the stroke of half time and Ilias Chair netted a second in the 73rd minute.
Despite the disappointment of those results, Hull City do only remain outside of the top six on goal difference, and they will bid to make a return to winning ways on their travels on Wednesday with the chance to regain their playoff place as we approach the halfway mark of the campaign.
Team News
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Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough side remain hampered by a long injury list, and they are again set to be without defenders Darragh Lenihan, Paddy McNair and Tommy Smith, midfielders Lewis O'Brien, Riley McGree and Hayden Hackney and attacker Marcus Forss on Wednesday.
They will, however, be boosted by two returns, as Anfernee Dijksteel and Isaiah Jones are back in contention after serving suspensions at the weekend, and they could both feature from the outset in right-back and right-wing roles respectively.
With key man Hackney a particularly notable absence alongside O'Brien and McGree, Dan Barlaser and Jonny Howson should continue to partner up in midfield, while Jones, Sam Greenwood, Matt Crooks, Morgan Rogers, Samuel Silvera and Alex Bangura will all compete to feature in a supporting trio behind lone striker Emmanuel Latte Lath.
In contrast to their hosts, Hull City's injury issues have eased in recent weeks, but Rosenior will not be able to call on defender Ruben Vinagre and winger Dogukan Sinik as the pair remain confined to the treatment room, while key centre-back Alfie Jones also missed out at the weekend.
In their 4-2-3-1 shape, Liam Delap should continue to lead the line, having notched up five league goals so far this term, while Jaden Philogene has been their star man from the left wing thus far, contributing six goals and five assists in 14 Championship appearances.
Aaron Connolly will fight to displace Adama Traore on the opposite flank, while Jean-Michael Seri and Tyler Morton should again get the nod to start in midfield despite competition from Regan Slater and Ozan Tufan, with Jacob Greaves and Sean McLoughlin bound to again partner up at the heart of the back four if Jones is not deemed ready to return in time for the trip to the Riverside.
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Dieng; Dijksteel, Clarke, Fry, Engel; Barlaser, Howson; Jones, Greenwood, Rogers; Latte Lath
Hull City possible starting lineup:
Allsop; Christie, McLoughlin, Greaves, Coyle; Seri, Morton; Connolly, Twine, Philogene; Delap
We say: Middlesbrough 1-1 Hull City
Both teams may be somewhat low on confidence following their recent defeats, but they should certainly see Wednesday's meeting as an important one in the playoff fight.
Both keen to return to winning ways and particularly to avoid a third straight defeat, we see a draw as the most likely outcome at the Riverside Stadium given their similar quality and recent form.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Sam Varley
