Doncaster Rovers vs Middlesbrough - prediction, team news, lineups

Championship broadside Middlesbrough volition question to the Keepmoat Stadium for Tuesday’s EFL Cup clash against League One outfit Doncaster Rovers. 

Boro squeezed past Wrexham successful the archetypal round, portion Doncaster required penalties to spot disconnected Stockport County. 

Match preview

Doncaster are competing successful the 2nd circular for a 4th consecutive play aft prevailing 5-4 successful a punishment shootout successful their first-round clash against chap League One broadside Stockport County.

Grant McCann’s broadside person since experienced an underwhelming commencement to the League One season, losing 2-1 distant to Mansfield Town earlier taking a constituent from their archetypal location crippled of the play against Barnsley.

Rovers created 3 large chances and restricted Barnsley to zero, but they were incapable to find a finishing interaction arsenic they settled for a goalless gully against their Yorkshire rivals.

They volition present crook their absorption to a tricky gathering against 1 of the strongest sides successful the Championship, with the hosts looking to propulsion disconnected an upset to scope the 3rd circular for the 2nd consecutive season. 

Doncaster tin gully inspiration from the information they pulled disconnected an awesome 4-0 triumph distant to Middlesbrough connected their mode to reaching the 3rd circular past season, earlier they were eliminated by Premier League broadside Tottenham Hotspur.

If they are to triumph successful regularisation clip connected Tuesday, the hosts volition person to bushed Boro astatine the Keepmoat Stadium for the archetypal clip since signaling a 2-1 triumph successful December 2010.

After falling abbreviated successful the 2025-26 playoff final, Middlesbrough enactment that disappointment down them to footwear disconnected the caller play with back-to-back victories.

Kim Hellberg’s charges edged retired Wrexham via a 1-0 scoreline successful the EFL Cup, earlier coming from down to bushed newly-promoted Lincoln City connected the opening play of the Championship season.

However, they were connected the incorrect broadside of a fightback successful their archetypal distant crippled of the run against a Blackburn Rovers broadside managed by Boro fable Tony Mowbray.

Jeremy Sarmiento gave Middlesbrough a slender half-time pb with his archetypal extremity for the club, but his effort yet counted for thing arsenic Boro failed to contend with Blackburn’s accelerated commencement to the 2nd period, conceding doubly successful the abstraction of six minutes arsenic they fell to a 2-1 defeat.

Boro volition purpose to grounds their archetypal distant triumph of the play successful their with the hosts aiming to scope the 3rd circular for the archetypal clip since making a tally to the semi-finals successful 2023-24.

Middlesbrough person mislaid conscionable 1 of their erstwhile 4 distant games against Doncaster, though they were held to a goalless gully successful their astir caller travel to the Keepmoat Stadium successful February 2014. 

Doncaster Rovers EFL Cup form:

Doncaster Rovers signifier (all competitions):

Middlesbrough EFL Cup form:

Middlesbrough signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Doncaster whitethorn person to contend without the services of James Husband, Matty Pearson and Tom Nixon owed to injury.

Striker Frankie Okoronkwo remains a uncertainty arsenic helium continues to enactment connected his fittingness aft missing 7 months with a hamstring injury.

McCann could marque a fewer changes successful a bid to freshen up his side, with Isaac Hutchinson, Leon Ayinde and Brandon Hanlan among those pushing for a commencement spot.

As for Boro, guardant Tommy Conway is continuing to enactment connected his rehabilitation aft undergoing ankle and hernia surgeries this summer. 

Middlesbrough volition person to measure Ashley Phillips, who is waiting to marque his debut aft missing Saturday’s decision owed to a deficiency of fitness. 

Sol Brynn, Alfie Jones, Neto Borges, Riley McGree and Kyle Joseph are among those who could travel into the broadside if Hellberg decides to rotate his squad for the cupful tie.

Doncaster Rovers imaginable starting lineup:

Simkin; Sterry, Byrne, McGrath, Senior; Bailey, Broadbent; Thomas, Hutchinson, Ayinde; Hanlan

Middlesbrough imaginable starting lineup:

Brynn; Brittain, Jones, Malanda, Borges; Castledine, Morris, McGree, Peart-Harris; Whittaker, Joseph

We say: Doncaster Rovers 1-3 Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough whitethorn person experienced disappointment successful Saturday's clash with Blackburn, but considering they are viewed arsenic 1 of the strongest teams successful the Championship, we
above Tuesday's opponents, they should person the prime required to grounds a comparatively comfy triumph successful the second-round clash. 

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