Town visit Middlesbrough for Friday’s live Sky game targeting their first away win of the season, a victory which would move them up to third ahead of the Saturday fixtures (KO 8pm).

The Blues are currently ninth on 13 points with a game in hand on everyone above them in the table following the abandonment of the Blackburn match last month.

A first win on the road - so far they have picked up 1-1 draws at Birmingham and Bristol City and lost their only Championship game up to now 1-0 at Preston - would put them level on points with Leicester and the Lilywhites in third and fourth respectively but with a superior goal difference.

The Teessiders are second in the division having picked up 18 points from their nine games.

However, after a blistering start, winning their first four in the Championship, they are without a victory in three and have won only one of their last five.

Before the international break, they lost 1-0 at Portsmouth having drawn 0-0 with Stoke in their most recent game at the Riverside, their second successive draw after their visit to Southampton ended 1-1.

At home this season, they are unbeaten in the Championship having won three - 1-0 victories over Swansea and Sheffield United and a 2-1 success against West Brom - in addition to the draw with the Potters.

Manager Rob Edwards is yet to taste defeat on his own turf in the league since taking charge in the summer following the sacking of Blues boss Kieran McKenna’s close friend Michael Carrick, losing only a Carabao Cup first-round tie to Doncaster Rovers at the Riverside.

McKenna has been impressed with the way Boro have begun the season.

“Certainly a very good team, a strong home record, solid and strong in all phases of the game,” he said.

“At home, they’ve been getting really good results, giving away very few chances and have been really stable.

“Good players, a good balance of a team that has played together for a few years, but also with some good additions this summer, and a really good manager as well. 

“We know we’re going to face a strong opponent, but it’s an exciting game. It’s a type of challenge to look forward to and it’s coming around quickly.

“Friday nights away from home after international duty are tough, but at the same time it dials everyone in straight away and it’s something to really look forward to going and tackling.”

McKenna’s friend and former Manchester United colleague Carrick was in charge on Teesside until the end of last season, but the Blues boss says he’s not contacted the former England international for insights into his old players.

“No, I haven't rung him on it,” he said. “There are so few secrets out there now. I think I’ve watched Middlesbrough, in terms of if you go through the team, certainly the players have been there for the last few years, I know them all really well.

“I’ve watched them many times. You know what they’re good at, what they’re not so good at.

“We’ve watched Middlesbrough, they’re nine games into the season now in the league, so we’ve had plenty of footage.

“And then they’ve got quite a few new players who they signed in the summer and those are the ones that you probably have to do a little bit more work on, a little bit more background on.

“So no, I’ve not tapped into him for any particular special insight and I don’t think there’s any big surprises on either team, I think they’ll know us well.

“We feel like we’re getting to know them really well with the work that we’re doing and it’s going to be a good battle on Friday night.”

Asked whether Boro have changed much in their approach since the change of manager over the summer, McKenna added: “There are some similarities, some differences. I think they’re consistently playing with a back five a lot more now in the league, which is a little bit different. 

“But then, having said that, when they played with Michael, it was often sort of a lopsided shape anyway with the right-back staying deeper, Luke Ayling playing the role in both systems.

“So there are lots of commonalities and there are some differences in there. They were a good team then and they’re a good team now, so we know we’re going to face a strong opponent.”

McKenna is looking forward to catching up with former Blues defender George Edmundson, who is set to miss the match with a hamstring problem suffered early in the Stoke match.

“I’m sure we’ll see him down there,” McKenna said. “I know a few of the lads and staff are in contact with him a fair bit.

“Shame that he’s picked up a little injury, but you’re always going to be happy if he’s not on the other side of the pitch because he's a good player. I’m sure we'll see him catch up on Friday.”

The Team

The Town boss may want to stick as closely as possible to the side which beat Norwich City 3-1 just under a fortnight ago with changes perhaps more likely when Charlton visit Portman Road on Tuesday for the second game in nine days, West Brom visiting on the following Saturday.

Alex Palmer will be in goal with the back four again set to be, from the right, Darnell Furlong, skipper Dara O’Shea, Cedric Kipre and Leif Davis.

In midfield, Jens Cajuste again seems certain to be partnered by Azor Matusiwa, while Sammie Szmodics and Sindre Walle Egeli are expected to be OK to take their places in the trio ahead of them despite pulling out of international squads.

Walle Egeli is likely to be on the right and Szmodics the number 10 with Jaden Philogene, who has scored five goals in his last three starts but is yet to open his account on the road this season, on the left. Hirst appears set to continue as the number nine.

If Szmodics or Walle Egeli aren’t considered ready to start, former Boro man Chuba Akpom and Kasey McAteer are their probable deputies.

History

Town have had the better of Middlesbrough over the years, winning 31 games (29 in the league), drawing 17 (17) and losing 23 (22).

The teams last met in April 2024 when the Blues returned to the top of the Championship following a 1-1 draw at Portman Road, but missed out on the chance to go three points clear following the defeats suffered by Leicester and Leeds.

Emmanuel Latte Lath put the Teessiders ahead in the 20th minute against the run of play before Massimo Luongo levelled against his old side.

Jeremy Sarmiento hit the post soon afterwards but Town were unable to find a winning goal and keeper Vaclav Hladky made two late saves to keep the Blues on terms.

In the preceding December at the Riverside, Conor Chaplin and Omari Hutchinson were on target as Town comfortably beat Middlesbrough 2-0, their first away win against Boro since August 2010 and only their second in their last 11 going back to 2001.

Chaplin gave the Blues the lead in the 36th minute with a typical strike from the edge of the box, then sub Hutchinson confirmed the three points for the second-placed Blues on 67.

Familiar Faces

Town forward Akpom was with Boro between September 2020 and August 2023, making 59 starts and 23 sub appearances, scoring 34 goals, 28 in 2022/23 in which he top-scored in the Championship.

Teesiders’ centre-half Edmundson left the Blues for the Riverside in the summer of 2024, initially on loan before the move became permanent in January.

Edmundson made 71 starts and four sub appearances, scoring five times, for Town having signed from Rangers in July 2021 and was a member of the back-to-back promotion-winning squad.

Boro midfielder Hayden Hackney turned down the chance to joined the Blues in the summer, having taken a look around Portman Road and the training ground after the clubs had agreed a £15 million fee rising to £20 million, and with personal terms also set.

Officials

Friday’s referee is Matthew Donohue, his assistants Jacob Graham and Conor Brown, and the fourth official James Linington.

Manchester-based Donohue has shown 31 yellow cards and one red in six games so far this season.

He has refereed one Blues match already this season, the 1-0 defeat at Preston in August in which he yellow-carded Ben Johnson, McAteer and six home players.

Prior to that, Donohue had taken charge of four previous Town games, the most recent the 1-0 defeat to Norwich at Carrow Road in April 2024 when he booked only Axel Tuanzebe.

Three months earlier, he was the man in the middle for the 3-1 FA Cup victory at AFC Wimbledon in which he red-carded Wombles midfielder Harry Pell for a second bookable offence and also cautioned Tuanzebe, Edmundson, Marcus Harness and one other Dons player.

He was also in charge of the 3-0 home victory over Hull City in October 2023 in which he - unusually judging by his overall stats - kept his cards in his pocket throughout.

Prior to that, Donohue refereed the 1-1 draw at Morecambe in February 2022 in which he booked only Macauley Bonne and Tyreeq Bakinson.

Squad From

Palmer, Walton, Button, Furlong, Johnson, Young, H Clarke, Davis, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Kipre, Matusiwa, Cajuste, Taylor, Nunez, Humphreys, J Clarke, Walle Egeli, Szmodics, Philogene, McAteer, Akpom, Hirst, Azon.

Photo: TWTD

dirtydingusmagee added 19:59 - Oct 15 tough game ,point good ,3 great COYB
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FreddySteady added 21:15 - Oct 15 My first game, Dad took me was home to Middlesbrough on Saturday 23 April 1977. We stood a chance of winning the league, they were in danger of relegation. Obvs, they won 1-0. It was a terrible game. I’ve been a fan ever since and also I still hate Bosko Jancovic.
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