Watford will travel to the Riverside Stadium on Saturday to take on Middlesbrough in an important contest at the top end of the Championship table.
With every other side in the top half of England's second tier in FA Cup action this weekend, the league's sixth and third-placed sides will fight to further improve their position in the playoff places.
Match preview
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Middlesbrough head into the weekend hoping to bounce back from a defeat last time out, after previously enjoying a fast rise up the division thanks to an eye-catching upturn in form.
Michael Carrick took over at the Riverside Stadium in late October, with Boro fighting at the bottom end of the division on just 17 points from their opening 16 league outings, and they have quickly turned their form around under the new boss, winning eight of his first 12 matches at the helm and adding 25 points to their tally.
Following a defeat to Preston North End at the beginning of his tenure, Middlesbrough would go on a five-match unbeaten run including four victories, before suffering a 3-1 beating away at Burnley, but that did not derail the Teeside outfit as they would then win their next four outings in England's second tier.
That run began with a 4-1 thrashing of Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day, and after hard-fought wins away at Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City, they extended their run with a 1-0 triumph at home to Millwall to further improve their position in the playoff spots, only to see that run brought to an abrupt end in a 2-0 defeat to rivals Sunderland last weekend, as Ross Stewart and Amad Diallo found the net after Dael Fry was sent off early in the second half.
While that result did see Boro drop back down to sixth spot, they have undoubtedly taken huge steps forward in recent months, and with their lead over Luton Town and Millwall now just on goal difference, they will be keen to return to winning ways on Saturday to strengthen their grip of a top-six spot before next weekend's full round of league fixtures.
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That will be no easy task, though, as third-placed Watford arrive with a desire of their own to get back to winning ways after an underwhelming result at the weekend.
Since the return to Championship action in December after the World Cup break, Slaven Bilic's side have added 11 points to their tally in seven league outings, and they began the new year with a particularly positive 1-0 victory away at fellow promotion-chasers Norwich City, before dropping out of the FA Cup at the hands of Reading.
The Hornets would bounce back with a second straight league win earlier in January, beating Blackpool 2-0 thanks to goals from Tobi Adeyemo and Ismaila Sarr to move onto 43 points from 27 Championship matches, before seeking to make it three in a row last weekend when they hosted Rotherham United.
Their visitors took a surprise first-half lead through Shane Ferguson in that game, and although Joao Ferreira did draw Bilic's men level, they were unable to find a winner and had to settle for a point as a result.
Such a draw was enough to maintain the Hornets' position in third place in the Championship but saw the gap between themselves and second-placed Sheffield United stretched to 13 points, and they will now be fully focussed on keeping hold of a top-six spot with just a one-point lead over Saturday's hosts and the chasing pack.
Team News
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Middlesbrough come into Saturday's game without centre back Dael Fry, who will serve a suspension after his red card in the Sunderland defeat, while fellow defenders Matt Clarke and Anfernee Dijksteel remain sidelined by injuries, meaning Paddy McNair should come in from the outset to join Darragh Lenihan in the middle of the back four.
Their line will again be led by Chuba Akpom, who boasts a league-high tally of 13 Championship goals so far this season, while Marcus Forss will also hope to keep his place in the front line amid competition from Duncan Watmore, Matthew Hoppe and Aston Villa loanee Cameron Archer.
Elsewhere, Riley McGree and Matt Crooks should again offer further attacking support, with Jonny Howson and Hayden Hackney set to continue their partnership at the base of the midfield.
Watford continue to deal with an unenviable injury list, as the likes of Christian Kabasele, Imran Louza, Tom Cleverley, Dan Gosling, Edo Kayembe, Kourtney Hause, Keinan Davis, Ken Sema and Joao Pedro are all confined to the treatment room, although midfielders Hamza Choudhury and Leandro Bacuna have recently returned to full fitness to give Bilic's options a slight boost.
Choudhury should again join January signing Ismael Kone and veteran full-back Mario Gaspar in the engine room, while in the absence of their top scorer Pedro, attacking responsibility will again fall on winger Ismaila Sarr, who has contributed seven goals and four assists in the Championship so far this season.
Vakoun Issouf Bayo and January signing Matheus Martins could again complete the front line, although Henrique Araujo will also be vying to start after joining on loan from Benfica on Monday, while at the other end of the pitch, Francisco Sierralta and Craig Cathcart will continue to partner up in the middle of the defence in the absence of Kabasele.
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Steffen; Smith, Lenihan, McNair, Giles; Howson, Hackney; Crooks, McGree; Archer, Akpom
Watford possible starting lineup:
Bachmann; Ferreira, Cathcart, Sierralta, Morris; Choudhury, Kone, Gaspar; Sarr, Bayo, Martins
We say: Middlesbrough 2-1 Watford
Although they did suffer a disappointing defeat last time out, Middlesbrough are full of confidence under Carrick, and taking on a Watford side who are badly hit by injuries and struggling for consistency, we fancy them to come out on top at the Riverside Stadium.
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