Middlesbrough mark their return to Championship action after a weekend away with the visit of Cardiff City to the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday evening.
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II led to games up and down the country being postponed, the two clubs have had ample time to recover from their previous endeavours in the second tier.
Match preview
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As has become customary in the UK, one may be waiting for a bus for a while before two come at once, and for Middlesbrough fans, they were pining for a first win of the season before two came in quick succession - the most recent of which came in the Tees-Wear derby.
Chris Wilder's side failed to win any of their first five in the second tier this term but now have two victories to their name from their last three, as Riley McGree's effort propelled them to a hard-earned 1-0 success over playoff-chasing Sunderland last weekend.
The Boro boss was not afraid to jokingly label some of his players "unintelligent" as he revealed his golf scorecard hypothesis to the press after the game, but his unorthodox methods have helped his side rise to 17th in the table after a second win of the campaign.
Despite their standing in the lower echelon of the rankings, Middlesbrough are yet to suffer a league defeat at the Riverside this term and now set out to string together a trio of wins on their own turf, which seems reasonably realistic against a Cardiff side dreading another away day.
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Neither West Bromwich Albion nor Bristol City were troubled by a shot-shy Cardiff attack last month, and the Bluebirds once again failed to fire on the road during a 2-0 defeat to Millwall last weekend.
Millwall did need to call upon the calvary to get the job done after a goalless first half, but Charlie Cresswell and Benik Afobe both came off the bench to make the net ripple and extend Cardiff's winless run in the second tier to five matches.
Steve Morison's side still have plenty of time to reverse their fortunes, but the Bluebirds occupy 22nd place in the rankings after eight games and have only scored a paltry four goals so far, seeing them hold the unwanted honour of being the league's worst attack.
Morison's outfit have failed to score in four of their last five Championship battles - including each of their last three on the road - and it has been nearly seven years since Cardiff last went four consecutive away games without finding the back of the net.
Neil Harris did steer Cardiff to a 3-1 win on Middlesbrough's ground as recently as July 2020, but the hosts did the double over their upcoming opponents last season with a pair of 2-0 victories, and such a scoreline is not beyond the realm of possibility here given the visitors' absence of threat in the final third.
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Team News
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Middlesbrough shot-stopper Zack Steffen was once again absent from the squad to face Sunderland with his knee injury - he failed a late fitness test ahead of the game - so Liam Roberts is on hand to deputise again if needed.
Paddy McNair was taken off on the 51st-minute mark last time out after rolling his ankle and will need assessing, but Wilder sang the praises of Anfernee Dijksteel after his substitute cameo, so McNair may very well be spared here.
Darragh Lenihan continues to struggle with an injury in the same area, and Chuba Akpom's knee problem will also take a little longer to heal, but Wilder is otherwise well-stocked for Tuesday's contest.
As for Cardiff, Kion Etete, Jamilu Collins and Ebou Adams are still out of contention, and Callum O'Dowda's hip injury did not let up in time for him to take part in the defeat to Millwall.
The 27-year-old may be able to force his way into contention for this game, while Callum Robinson ought to be in with a strong chance of displacing Max Watters at the tip of the attack.
Morison refused to condemn right-back Mahlon Romeo for his gesture towards the Millwall fans at the end of last weekend's defeat, with the 26-year-old suffering a particularly hostile reception at his old home.
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Roberts; Dijksteel, Clarke, Fry; Jones, Mowatt, Howson, Crooks, Giles; McGree, Muniz
Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Allsop; Romeo, Ng, Kipre, Nkounkou; Rinomhota, Wintle, Sawyers; Ojo, Robinson, Philogene-Bidace
We say: Middlesbrough 2-0 Cardiff City
Even if the introduction of Robinson from the first whistle can give Cardiff a bit more bite on the attacking front, their away-day struggles are showing no signs of letting up soon.
With Middlesbrough also proving an incredibly tough nut to crack at home, we can only picture Wilder's side picking up where they left off with another three points.
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Ben Knapton
