Preview: Sheffield Wednesday vs. Middlesbrough

A dramatic race for promotion continues this weekend as title chasers Middlesbrough make the trip to Hillsborough to take on Sheffield Wednesday.

After claiming top spot just over a week ago, Middlesbrough fell from the summit with a 1-0 defeat to Leeds United last weekend before getting back on track by beating Bolton Wanderers 1-0 at the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday.

The win over Bolton means Aitor Karanka's side are just two points behind leaders Derby County, but the Spaniard was far from happy with his side on Tuesday evening, claiming that it was one of the worst performances of his reign.

Karanka will be hoping those comments bring a reaction from his players as he looks to avoid a slump in form which could quickly change the picture at the top of the table, with seven points currently separating Derby and seventh-placed Brentford.

Middlesbrough are in for a tough challenge against a Wednesday side which returned to their best by beating Millwall 3-1 on Tuesday to end a run of seven Championship matches without a win.

A confidence-boosting win at The Den left Wednesday in 11th spot, and Stuart Gray is likely to name an unchanged side as he searches for consistency once again.

Despite Karanka's obvious disappointment with the display against Bolton, he could also hand the same 11 players the chance to record crucial back-to-back wins.

Sheffield Wednesday:

Recent form: LDLDLW

Possible starting lineup: Kirkland, Palmer, Lees, Zayatte, Dielna, Lee, Semedo, McGugan, Maghoma, Keane, Nuhiu

Middlesbrough:

Form in Championship: WWWDLW Form in all competitions: WWLDLW

Possible starting lineup: Konstantopoulos, Fredericks, Kalas, Gibson, Friend, Leadbitter, Clayton, Reach, Tomlin, Adomah, Bamford

Sports Mole says: 1-2