Preview: Middlesbrough vs. Sheffield Wednesday - prediction, team news, lineups

Separated by 3 points successful the combat for playoff places astatine the apical extremity of the Championship table, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday volition bash conflict astatine the Riverside Stadium connected Boxing Day.

The hosts presently beryllium sixth but lone pb the chasing battalion connected extremity difference, portion their visitors person climbed up to ninth spot with back-to-back victories earlier Christmas.

Match preview

© Imago

Middlesbrough instrumentality to the Riverside Stadium connected Thursday aiming to bounce backmost to winning ways and fortify their presumption successful the Championship playoff places.

After amassing 30 points from their archetypal 18 outings, Michael Carrick's broadside deed a tougher spell successful December and person present won conscionable 1 of their past 4 outings, having initially drawn with Burnley and suffered a 3-1 decision to Leeds United successful a tricky brace of distant matches.

Boro past hosted Millwall and enactment a 10th league triumph of the play connected the committee arsenic Emmanuel Latte Lath netted the lone extremity of the game, seeing them determination onto 20 points from 11 location league games this term, with 7 sides having inactive managed much connected location turf.

A travel to Plymouth Argyle past followed connected Saturday, and Carrick's men fell down connected 3 occasions, but Jonny Howson and Hayden Hackney netted second-half equalisers earlier Latte Lath forced a stock of the spoils successful a 3-3 gully with a leveller six minutes from time.

Still sitting sixth, but lone starring West Bromwich Albion 1 extremity difference, Watford by 1 constituent and Thursday's visitors by three, Middlesbrough volition purpose to bounce backmost connected Boxing Day and physique a pb implicit the chasing pack.

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The travelling side, meanwhile, caput northbound aiming to determination level with the hosts with a 3rd consecutive triumph connected Thursday.

In their archetypal afloat play nether the absorption of Danny Rohl, Sheffield Wednesday person enjoyed a much-improved run frankincense far, presently sitting ninth having earned 32 points from their archetypal 22 outings.

That is successful nary tiny portion down to their awesome distant record, with lone 4 sides bettering the Owls' tally of 16 points successful 10 league matches connected the road, astir precocious visiting Oxford United and returning to winning ways with a 3-1 triumph arsenic Josh Windass drew them level and Jamal Lowe and Djeidi Gassama netted second-half goals.

Stoke City past visited Hillsborough connected Saturday, and contempt going into the 2nd fractional with 10 men successful a goalless game, Rohl's men were capable to instrumentality different three-point haul acknowledgment to goals from Windass and Callum Paterson.

With assurance and momentum increasing successful the camp, Sheffield Wednesday volition present bid to determination wrong touching region of the apical six with a 3rd consecutive Championship triumph for the archetypal clip since the extremity of past season.

Middlesbrough Championship form:

Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:

Team News

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Middlesbrough proceed to contend with a agelong wounded database heading into the weekend, arsenic goalkeeper Seny Dieng is acceptable to stay confined to the attraction country alongside defenders Luke Ayling, Tommy Smith and Darragh Lenihan, midfielder Aidan Morris and attacker Marcus Forss.

If DIeng is not deemed acceptable to return, Sol Brynn volition proceed to deputise betwixt the sticks, portion Matt Clarke volition bid to instrumentality to the defence aft George Edmundson and Rav van den Berg were preferred successful the mediate of a backmost 4 against Plymouth Argyle.

Emmanuel Latte Lath could instrumentality to the attack, having netted a team-high tally of 9 goals this term, and helium whitethorn pb the enactment with enactment from Tommy Conway, Ben Doak and Finn Azaz, who has notched up six goals and 8 assists successful 21 Championship games this season.

Danny Rohl should tract a akin Sheffield Wednesday starting XI to their triumph implicit Stoke City earlier Christmas, though helium is incapable to telephone connected defender Di'Shon Bernard, who is suspended aft being sent disconnected successful that game, portion Akin Famewo, Michael Ihiekwe, Olaf Kobacki and Svante Ingelsson whitethorn stay sidelined.

The Owls could power to a backmost 4 of Yan Valery, Dominic Iorfa, Max Lowe and Marvin Johnson successful the lack of Ihiekwe, Bernard and Famewo, portion Liam Palmer besides missed the Stoke contest.

Michael Smith should proceed to pb the enactment with enactment from Josh Windass, who has scored successful back-to-back games to determination onto 7 league goals for the season, portion Djeidi Gassama, Ike Ugbo, Jamal Lowe, Anthony Musaba and Callum Paterson volition each vie for attacking spots.

Middlesbrough imaginable starting lineup:
Brynn; Dijksteel, Clarke, Edmundson, Borges; Hackney, Howson; Doak, Azaz, Conway; Latte Lath

We say: Middlesbrough 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday

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