Championship | Gameweek 23

Dec 26, 2024 at 3pm UK

Riverside Stadium

Middlesbrough vs Sheff Weds

Match preview

Middlesbrough return to the Riverside on Thursday looking to get back to winning ways and strengthen their position in the Championship play-off places.

After taking 30 points from their opening 18 games, Michael Carrick's side have struggled in December and have won just one of their last four matches, drawing with Burnley and losing 3-1 to Leeds United in a tricky away fixture.

Boro then travelled to Millwall and, with Emmanuel Latte Lath scoring the only goal of the game, recorded their 10th league win of the season to take their tally to 20 points from 11 home games this season, seven more than any other team.

A trip to Plymouth Argyle followed on Saturday and Carrick's men fell behind three times, but Jonny Howson and Hayden Hackney equalised in the second half before Latte Lath scored six minutes from time to earn a 3-3 draw.

Middlesbrough, who remain in sixth place but trail West Bromwich Albion by a goal difference, Watford by a point and Thursday's visitors by three points, will be looking to bounce back on Boxing Day and extend their lead over the chasing pack.

The travelling side, meanwhile, head north in search of a third successive victory on Thursday to move level on points with their hosts.

In their first full season under Danny Rohl, Sheffield Wednesday have enjoyed a much-improved campaign so far, currently sitting in ninth place after taking 32 points from their opening 22 games.

This is in no small part due to their impressive away record, with only four teams bettering the Owls' tally of 16 points from 10 league games away from home, most recently at Oxford United, where they returned to winning ways with a 3-1 triumph thanks to Josh Windass' opener and second-half goals from Jamal Lowe and Djeidi Gassama.

Stoke City then visited Hillsborough on Saturday and, despite being reduced to 10 men in a goalless second half, Rohl's men came away with all three points thanks to goals from Windass and Callum Paterson.

With confidence and momentum growing in the camp, Sheffield Wednesday will now look to move within touching distance of the top six with a third successive Championship win for the first time since the end of last season.

Recent Performance

Middlesbrough Championship form:LWDLWD

Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:WWDLWW

Team News

Middlesbrough's injury list remains long heading into the weekend, with goalkeeper Seny Dieng set to join defenders Luke Ayling, Tommy Smith and Darragh Lenihan, midfielder Aidan Morris and striker Marcus Forss in the treatment room.

If DIeng is not deemed fit to return, Sol Brynn will continue to deputise between the sticks, while Matt Clarke will be hoping to make a comeback at the back after George Edmundson and Rav van den Berg were preferred in a back four against Plymouth Argyle.

Emmanuel Latte Lath could return to the attack after scoring a team-high nine goals this season, and he could lead the line with support from Tommy Conway, Ben Doak and Finn Azaz, who has six goals and eight assists in 21 Championship games this season.

Danny Rohl should name a similar starting XI to the one that beat Stoke City before Christmas, although he will be without defender Di'Shon Bernard, who is suspended after being sent off in that game, while Akin Famewo, Michael Ihiekwe, Olaf Kobacki and Svante Ingelsson could all miss out.

The Owls could revert to a back four of Yan Valery, Dominic Iorfa, Max Lowe and Marvin Johnson in the absence of Ihiekwe, Bernard and Famewo, while Liam Palmer also missed the game against Stoke.

Michael Smith should continue to lead the line with support from Josh Windass, who has scored in back-to-back games to take his league tally for the season to seven, while Djeidi Gassama, Ike Ugbo, Jamal Lowe, Anthony Musaba and Callum Paterson will all battle it out in attack.

Possible starting lineup

Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:

Brynn; Dijksteel, Clarke, Edmundson, Borges; Hackney, Howson; Doak, Azaz, Conway; Latte Lath

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Beadle; Valery, Iorfa, M Lowe, Johnson; Charles, Bannan; Windass, J Lowe, Gassama; Smith