Town host promotion rivals Middlesbrough in the penultimate home game of the season early on Sunday afternoon, looking for three points which will move them a step closer to a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking (KO midday).

The Blues go into the match still second in the table despite the 2-0 loss at Portsmouth on Tuesday. They are two points above Millwall in third and three above both Southampton, fourth following their 3-0 home victory over Blackburn in midweek, and Boro, whose most recent match was also a defeat to Pompey, 1-0 at the Riverside last Saturday, in fifth.

Town and the Teessiders will know their rivals’ results well before Sunday’s kick-off with Millwall hosting QPR in a 12.30pm kick-off on Saturday afternoon and Southampton at Swansea City at 3pm the same day. Leaders Coventry could confirm the title this evening when they travel to Blackburn.

Manager Kieran McKenna says he and his staff went through the usual debrief following the defeat at Fratton Park.

“It has been a normal process,” he said. “The players were off on Wednesday after the long travel.

“And on Thursday morning, as we always do, we had a meeting to go through the game and address the things we could have done better and go through the moments which we did good, and then move onto the next one. We did that and now we are looking forward to the next one.”

The game moving to Sunday has given the Blues an additional day to prepare with the Teessiders not having been in action in midweek, something McKenna says was needed.

“I think it is pretty essential,” he said. “There is no getting away from it, we are playing the team who run the most in the league and who have had eight days to prepare. I’d rather have been in that position.

“But after two tough away games and getting back here late on Wednesday night, you don’t tend to like games getting moved to Sunday or 12pm in this division, but I think the extra day reduces that advantage. It gives us an extra bit of time to recover, so come Sunday we will be full of energy and be ready to go.”

Middlesbrough’s promotion push has faltered in recent weeks, the Teessiders, who were top of the table for a few days in mid-February, having gone six matches without a win, three defeats and three draws, since a 4-0 win at QPR on March 8th.

But the downturn goes back further than that, Boro having failed to win any of their last six matches at home with their last victory at the Riverside a 2-0 success against Norwich City on January 31st.

Away from home, only Millwall, 36, have picked up more points than Boro, who have bagged 35, as have Coventry, from 10 wins, six draws and five defeats.

They have scored the third-most on the road, 34, and have conceded 25 with only four teams having shipped fewer in the Championship this season.

“It doesn’t change the bearing too much for me, to be honest,” McKenna said when asked about Boro’s form. “We always say, and we genuinely do, always focus on ourselves.

“We know we are facing a really strong opponent on Sunday. They have been, stylistically, one of, if not the, dominant team in the league over the last few months, but have also dropped a lot of points.

“We know we are going to have to play really well to beat them on Sunday. It is going to take a massive effort from the players and it’s going to take a real special Portman Road day, as they are a really good side.

“What their form is coming into the game often doesn’t matter in games like this when it is top team against top team. They are a top team and it is going to take a massive effort and that is just what we are focusing on.”

Since Town were beaten 2-1 at the Riverside in mid-October, there has been a switch at the top at Boro, manager Rob Edwards having moved to Wolves and Swede Kim Hellberg taking over.

Asked whether Sunday’s visitors have changed much since the new boss came in, McKenna said: “They have added bits. I think they have been one of the best, if not the best, footballing teams in the Championship and for the last few years they have been a really, really good team in terms of the quality of their football and their ability to play through the pitch.

“They’ve had a really good core group of players and really good technical players in the middle. Under Michael [Carrick, manager prior to Edwards], they had that style for quite a few years.

“They started this season really well under Rob and were getting quite a few clean sheets and had a real defensive stability and now Kim has come in and put his slant on it and has certainly done very well. If anything, they probably press a lot more aggressively than they did under the last couple of managers.

“I’d say they have been really dominant in the large percentage of the matches. They are a good team and have been for a number of years. They’ve added to it well in the last couple of transfer windows and they’ve had good managers who have come in and added their own piece to it as well.

“We will give them our full respect. We expect a really big challenge but we believe in ourselves. We know our stadium, we know we are a formidable team to play against as well and we want to make it a really tough game for them.

“It’s one to look forward to. They are one of the teams, and there haven’t been too many, who are going to come to our stadium to try and play their game and we are going to try and impose ourselves and that should make for a good game.”

Looking back on the defeat in October, McKenna felt the Blues not taking a big chance to take the lead proved pivotal, George Hirst having seen a spot-kick saved three minutes before the home side went in front via a Cedric Kipre own goal in first-half injury time.

“There was a clear incident with the penalty and I’m not going to pore over it, but I think we should have had another penalty before that, I think that’s something every manager would say,” McKenna recalled.

“I think there was one that hit the crossbar and bounced down and we were close, so the game was there for us to take the lead and we know the first goal is so important in the Championship, and it has been especially for us away from home, to be honest.

“It was a tight game, they are a different team now, but even then you could see the threats they had.

“They have got really good players and play with really high energy and they are one of the teams that have beaten us. So now it’s a time to play them at home and try and turn that around.”

Given his expectation that Boro will come to Suffolk to play their usual front-foot game, McKenna was asked whether he anticipates it being two teams going toe-to-toe.

“You can never be sure,” he reflected. ‘Will we stick to our principle in terms of trying to be an aggressive and positive team at home? We certainly will, there is no doubt about that.

“But we have to go into the game with a lot of humility as well, knowing they have a group of players who have played through the pitch very well and played together for a while.

“They have added to that and the manager has put a really good style of play in place. They have different structures and movements to a lot of other teams in the division, which is part of the reason why they have given teams a lot of problems.

“It’s been a good challenge preparing for the game and they pose a lot of different questions. We know we are going to have to defend exceptionally well, both if we want to press high in the game, as we like to do at home, we are going to have to do that with intensity and top organisation.

“And we also know there will be spells where they have the ball and possession and we know we will have to work really hard as a team to stop their threats in those moments. But we also believe we will carry a lot of threat in the game and we know we can hurt teams as well.

“Let’s see how the game pans out, but I expect them to come and try and impose their game. I don’t think we have never not tried to do that at Portman Road and this weekend isn’t going to be any different.”

The last four games of Boro’s downturn have coincided with midfielder Hayden Hackney, who turned down a move to the Blues last summer after the clubs had agreed a fee, missing out with a calf injury.

Manager Hellberg has hinted that the former England U21 international’s return might be close and McKenna says thinks he knows whether his side will face one of this season’s Championship Player of the Season nominees.

“We have an idea, but I probably won’t reveal that idea,” he said. “He’s obviously a top, top player, certainly one of the best players in the division.

“But we have to prepare for them as a team and it’s certainly not just about one player. I think [Aidan] Morris is having an outstanding season in midfield, for me as well, certainly one of the top midfielders in the division.

“There are other midfielders who are playing well and they’ve got strengths, individually and as a team, all over the pitch.

“Over the course of the season, you are going to miss your best players at times. I’ve said it a few times, Jaden [Philogene] was probably right up there as the best forward player in the division in the first half of the season and we’ve only had him really for Norwich and then just trying to build his way back into it.

“We’ve missed Marcelino [Nunez] for a lot of the second half of the season and that’s the way for a lot of teams. I’m sure you would miss a player of that calibre if you are them, but our focus is on everything Middlesbrough can bring.”

In addition to Hackney’s absence, another player understood to have interested the Blues back in the League One promotion season, winger Morgan Whittaker, has also missed out latterly.

“They have got a really big squad and even without the two of those players [Whittaker and Hackney], they have top players and a really good bench,” McKenna continued.

“They have got good players starting and good players coming on every week and I think that’s the case for most of the top teams in the Championship - and they are certainly the same.”

The Team

McKenna is likely to make his usual tweaks to his side with games continuing to come thick and fast as the end of the season draws close.

Christian Walton will continue in goal with Darnell Furlong at right-back, skipper Dara O’Shea at right centre-half and Jacob Greaves moving back inside to left centre-half. Leif Davis almost certainly will come back in at left-back with Kipre dropping to the bench.

Azor Matusiwa seems set to start in central midfield despite his dead leg having hampered him in recent weeks with Jack Taylor probably returning alongside the Dutchman having been left out at Fratton Park.

McKenna may again opt for Kasey McAteer wide on the right with Philogene on the left and Anis Mehmeti starting as the number 10. George Hirst has started the last two as the central striker, so Ivan Azon may come back into the XI.

Opposition

Key men Hackney and Whittaker have been absent from the last four squads with the midfielder expected to miss out again on Sunday due to his calf problem.

Winger Whittaker seems more likely to be ready to return having been sidelined with an ankle injury.

Additionally, left-back Matt Targett was subbed at half-time during last weekend’s 1-0 home defeat to Portsmouth with a knock but may be OK to face the Blues.

Town Championship promotion hero Jeremy Sarmiento is currently out with a knee issue and is not expected back this weekend.

Wideman Alex Bangura missed the game against Pompey with a muscle injury but could return.

Central defender Alfie Jones has an ankle problem but isn’t expected to return on Sunday afternoon.

Midfielder Leo Castledine, a January signing from Chelsea, is out with muscle issue but is also not anticipated to be back this weekend.

Centre-half Darragh Lenihan has an achilles injury which saw the Irishman left out of the 25-man squad in January.

Better news for Boro was forward Sammy Silvera returning to the bench at Portsmouth following a stress fracture, which had kept him out since the end of January.

Asked about the injury situation and whether any of his absentees might return, Hellberg, a nominee for Championship Manager of the Season, was keeping his cards close to his chest at his pre-match press conference.

“We’ll see. Hopefully,” he said. “Everyone is better. To be fair, there’s no hiding it, we’ve missed them.

“Hayden and Morgan have been our two best offensive players in terms of points won. Leo has contributed well since arriving and Sammy has some goals too. It’s been some of the players that’s been out that have quite a good goalscoring record.

“So, of course, missing them is a big thing. But all the players are getting closer to playing and getting into a better situation with those injuries. All of the players injured are in a similar category.

“It comes down to me deciding if that’s for Ipswich or Sheffield Wednesday or Watford or Wrexham. But I hope that all those players that have been injured will play a part in some of those games.

“It’s just a matter of time. How quickly it is is difficult, to be fair, for me to know, because it comes down to decisions in one or two days. So we will see.”

Time appears to be running out for Boro and Hellberg was asked whether players might have to be risked earlier than they otherwise might given the situation.

“You have to balance everything all the time,” he added. “That’s what you do and you take risks and try to see if it's a risk worth taking with everyone.

“There’s always a risk of playing, which is connected to that. So you always try to balance all the things that are possibilities and you try to make the best decision there is.”

Despite the recent poor run of form, Hellberg says his team’s approach remains unchanged.

“We’re just trying to do what we are doing. We believe in the way we work,” he said. “We’ve had one week now to train and try to go through everything because that’s the thing.

“Everybody has different opinions about what is the right thing to do, and that’s how it is. But in this group, it’s very important that we be clear on what we want to do, how we want to play, how we want to act.

“What we’ve gone through this week, we’ve been very, very clear in every aspect of the game. What we believe in, what we are good at. I don’t believe in doing things that you’re not good at, or things you don’t train at. I don’t think that is going to give you success.

“So that’s what we’ve gone through, the way we want to play, the way we want to act in every aspect of the game.

“This week [without a game] has given us that opportunity. It’s been a very good week for us. We’ve gained a lot of good things from this week, so I’m looking forward to going into the last two weeks of the Championship.”

He admits three points at Portman Road are almost certainly required if his side is to maintain a challenge for the top two.

“You never know what will happen,” he continued. “But, to be fair, you do the maths and we probably need to win to put ourselves in a good position to be second.”

History

Town have had the better of Middlesbrough over the years, winning 31 games (29 in the league), drawing 17 (17) and losing 24 (23).

However, the Blues have won only one of their last 10 against the Teessiders. At home, they’re without a victory in four since a 2-0 win in December 2014 when Daryl Murphy and Jay Tabb, via a memorable header, were on target.

In October at the Riverside, Town fell to their second defeat of the season as they were beaten 2-1 Boro moving back to the top of the Championship as a result.

Kipre’s own goal in first-half injury time gave the Teessiders the lead, Hirst having seen a penalty saved moments earlier, before Whittaker added a second 10 minutes into the second half, prior to O’Shea pulling one back for the Blues on 76, but Town were unable to find a second goal.

The teams last met at Portman Road in April 2024 when the Blues returned to the top of the Championship following a 1-1 draw, 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.

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

Familiar Faces

Town forward Chuba 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 George Edmundson left the Blues for the Riverside in the summer of 2024, initially on loan before the move became permanent in the following 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.

Forward Sarmiento joined Boro on loan from Brighton in January, having spent the second half of 2024/25 with the Blues on a similar basis, netting vital goals which saw Town to promotion, most famously the last-gasp winner against Southampton. In total, the Ecuadorian made six starts and 16 sub appearances, scoring three times. For the Teessiders, he’s yet to score in four starts and nine games from the bench.

Boro midfielder 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.

Forward Whittaker was a Town target ahead of the 2022/23 January transfer window while on loan with fellow League One promotion challengers Plymouth from Swansea but a deal couldn’t be agreed.

Officials

Sunday’s referee is Jarred Gillett, his assistants Neil Davies and Steven Meredith, and the fourth official Benjamin Speedie.

Australian Gillett, who has been a Premier League official since August 2021, will be taking charge of his first Championship game this season and his first ever Town match, although he was on VAR duty for a number of Blues fixtures last season.

Gillett was down to take charge of the Championship match at Rotherham in October 2023, which was postponed after the River Don broke its banks.

Squad From

Walton, Palmer, Button, Furlong, Davis, Johnson, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Greaves, Baggott, Matusiwa, Cajuste, Neil, Taylor, Clarke, Philogene, Nunez, Walle Egeli, McAteer, Mehmeti, Akpom, Hirst, Azon.

Photo: TWTD