Preview: Middlesbrough vs. Swansea City - prediction, team news, lineups

Relegation-threatened Middlesbrough host playoff-chasing Swansea City at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday in an important game for both sides.

Boro find themselves 19th in the Championship table and embroiled in a real fight to stay in the second tier, whilst 11th-placed Swansea still have an outside chance of finishing in the playoffs and need to keep the pressure on the teams ahead of them.

Match preview

Middlesbrough's 1-0 win over Charlton Athletic last time out finally put an end to their 12-game winless league run, featuring six defeats, and kept them outside the relegation zone.

Twenty-second-placed Charlton are just two points behind Boro and, had Lee Bowyer's side won that contest, the clubs' places would be reversed.

Jonathan Woodgate's men have scored the fewest goals of any side in the Championship this season, managing just 37 strikes so far, but have managed three goals in their last two after a run of three games without scoring.

The reverse fixture - which Swansea won 3-1 - saw Boro reduced to nine men after both Marcus Browne and Paddy McNair were sent off in the second half, and Woodgate will hope for a more disciplined showing this time around.

Swansea started the Championship season in flying form, winning five and drawing one of their first six league games as they picked up 17 points from a possible 19 in August.

However, they have been patchy ever since, failing to string more than two successive league wins together and earning just eight more victories in their next 31 games.

In fact, they are winless in their last three in the Championship and have won just one of their last nine, although this run features five draws.

Steve Cooper's side have recorded 14 draws in their 37 games this season so far, behind only Millwall and rivals Cardiff City.

Middlesbrough Championship form: DLLLDW

Swansea City Championship form: DDWLDD

Team News

Middlesbrough boss Woodgate could be boosted by the returns of a couple of players as he prepares his side for the visit of Swansea.

Dael Fry and Patrick Roberts have both returned to training and will be assessed ahead of any potential involvement in Saturday's fixture.

It appears that the game comes just too soon for Daniel Ayala, however, who is not far off a comeback. George Friend is also still injured, and will not feature either.

On the other hand, Swansea head coach Cooper has a less positive injury report to contend with.

George Byers and Mike van der Hoorn are sidelined for the rest of the campaign and remain out, while Wayne Routledge is also unavailable with a knee complaint.

Bersant Celina is being assessed on a day-to-day basis, and has an outside chance of recovering in time.

Middlesbrough possible starting lineup: Stojanovic; Howson, Shotton, Moukoudi, Johnson; Clayton, McNair; Tavernier, Wing, Coulson; Gestede

Swansea City possible starting lineup: Woodman; Naughton, Cabango, Rodon, Bidwell; Fulton, Grimes; Kalulu, Gallagher, Ayew; Brewster