Preview: Middlesbrough vs Wrexham - prediction, team news, lineups

Middlesbrough and Wrexham will start their respective seasons when they face off in Friday's EFL Cup Round One tie at the Riverside Stadium.

Boro will be looking to avoid a repeat of last year's first-round loss to Doncaster Rovers, while the Red Dragons are aiming to progress from Round One for the third time in four seasons.

Match preview

Middlesbrough are preparing for a 10th consecutive Championship season after falling short in an eventful playoff campaign that saw them lose to Southampton in the semi-final before the Spygate scandal offered them a second chance.

Boro ultimately failed to take advantage of that opportunity, as they came up short in a 1- 0 defeat to Hull City in May's Wembley final.

Middlesbrough have seen a number of players depart since the end of last term, including Dael Fry and Hayden Hackney, while they have been busy strengthening Kim Hellberg's squad with the additions of Sebastian Berhalter, Max Arfsten, Kyle Joseph, Jeremy Sarmiento and Will Lankshear.

On the pitch, Middlesbrough have experienced an underwhelming run of pre-season results, recording three draws and one defeat, including a 3-3 scoreline in last Saturday's friendly against Spanish side Espanyol.

They will begin their league campaign against newly-promoted Lincoln City on August 15, but first they will look to negotiate a tricky EFL Cup tie against fellow Championship side Wrexham.

Boro reached the semi-final of this competition in the 2023-24 campaign, although they have suffered first-round exits in three of the past five seasons, including a heavy 4-0 defeat to Doncaster last term.

After winning three consecutive promotions, Wrexham were unable to continue that run last season, although they acquitted themselves well in the second tier since the 1981-82 campaign.

Phil Parkinson's side narrowly missed out on a playoff berth, finishing in seventh position and two points adrift of Hull City after dropping points in a 2-2 draw against Middlesbrough on the final day of the Championship season.

With the playoffs expanding by two places, Wrexham will view a top-eight finish as their main goal for the upcoming season, which they have prepared for with a run of tough fixtures.

They started their pre-season schedule with a goalless draw against Wisla Krakow and an impressive 1-0 win against Manchester United, before they played three more Premier League teams in their tour of the USA, beating Leeds United 3-2 and suffering back-to-back 1-0 defeats against Liverpool and Sunderland.

Wrexham have strengthened their squad ahead of Friday's EFL Cup tie, unveiling midfielder Ben Whiteman as their second signing of the window after recruiting Danny Imray earlier this summer.

The Red Dragons have advanced beyond the first round in two of the last three seasons since returning to the EFL, including last year's run to the fourth round that ended with a defeat to Welsh rivals Cardiff City, the team they will face on the first matchday of the new Championship campaign.

Middlesbrough pre-season friendlies form:

D D L D

Wrexham form pre-season friendlies form:

D W W L L

Team News

Boro are unable to call upon Alex Bangura, Alfie Jones, Riley McGree, Tommy Conway and Kyle Joseph, who have all missed the entirety of the club's pre-season schedule.

Myles Peart-Harris and David Strelec are also unlikely to feature after sitting out the recent friendly against Espanyol.

Arfsten should make the matchday squad following his recent arrival from MLS side Columbus Crew.

As for the visitors, Ryan Hardie remains sidelined with a thigh problem, while Elliot Lee is a doubt after sitting out the last four friendlies through injury.

Midfielder Ben Sheaf and attacker Josh Windass will have to be assessed after missing the club's five friendlies with a calf problem.

Seb Revan and Conor Coady were not included in the squad for the tour of the USA amid uncertainty surrounding their future with the club.

Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:

Brynn; Brittain, Ayling, Malanda, Borges; Berhalter, Morris; Whittaker, Cartwright, Castledine; Lankshear

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Okonkwo; Vyner, Hyam, Doyle; Imray, Dobson, Thomason, Cacace; Cadamarteri, Broadhead; Moore

We say: Middlesbrough 2-2 Wrexham (Middlesbrough to win on penalties)

This should be a close-fought contest between two Championship sides, and considering both of last season's meetings finished all square, we can see this one finishing all square to bring the lottery of a penalty shootout into play.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.