Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to again lead the Manchester United line on Friday, as the Red Devils welcome Middlesbrough to Old Trafford in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The Portugal international has been in impressive scoring form at club level during the 2021-22 campaign, finding the back of the net on 14 occasions in 23 appearances in all competitions.
Under normal circumstances, Ronaldo would likely be rested for an FA Cup fourth-round contest against Championship opposition, but Man United have not been in action since beating West Ham United at Old Trafford in the Premier League on January 22.
Meanwhile, the absence of Edinson Cavani means that Ronaldo is expected to feature from the start against Chris Wilder's team in Manchester.
Here, Sports Mole looks at how the 36-year-old has performed against Boro in the past.
© Reuters
Ronaldo has faced Middlesbrough on 14 occasions during his professional career, with 10 of those coming in the Premier League, three in the FA Cup and one in the EFL Cup, all during his first spell at Man United.
The attacker has a record of seven wins, five draws and two defeats against Boro, with the two losses coming in the Premier League during the 2003-04 and 2005-06 campaigns, and he has netted five times and provided three assists against them in all competitions.
Ronaldo actually lost his first ever game against Middlesbrough at Old Trafford back in 2004, with Steve McClaren's side shocking the hosts to record a 3-2 victory.
The forward has scored just twice in 10 appearances against Boro in the Premier League, but he has netted twice against them in three FA Cup outings.
© Reuters
The former Sporting Lisbon youngster helped Man United beat Middlesbrough 3-0 in the fourth round of the 2004-05 FA Cup, while he scored twice against them in the sixth round in 2006-07, registering in a 2-2 draw before hitting the winner in the decider at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo also netted once against Boro in the third round of the 2008-09 EFL Cup, so a record of three goals in four cup fixtures against Friday's opponents should mean that the Portuguese is full of confidence heading into the contest at Old Trafford.
The experienced attacker has also not lost to Middlesbrough since Man United's 4-1 loss at the Riverside Stadium during the 2005-06 campaign, while his last appearance against Boro at Old Trafford was in December 2008, playing 84 minutes of his side's 1-0 success.
Overall, Ronaldo has played 26 times in the FA Cup, scoring 13 times and providing nine assists, and he was a part of the Man United side that won the competition in 2003-04.
