Bringing their attention back to second-tier matters after EFL Cup success in the week, an injury-riddled Middlesbrough will welcome West Bromwich Albion to the Riverside Stadium on Saturday in the Championship.
Boro breezed past Port Vale to reach the last four of the League Cup on Tuesday but have experienced a dip in league form recently, while the Baggies have managed to maintain their spot in the top six as takeover speculation continues to swirl around the club.
Match preview
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For the first time since lifting the trophy in 2004, Middlesbrough have reached the semi-final stage of the EFL Cup after comfortably beating League One outfit Port Vale on Tuesday night, with goals from Jonny Howson, Morgan Rogers and Matt Crooks securing a well-earned 3-0 win.
Apart from a first-round clash with fellow Championship side Huddersfield Town in August, Michael Carrick's men have only faced teams operating in either the third or fourth tiers on their way to the last four, but a tricky-looking two-legged affair with Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea in January now stands between Boro and Wembley.
The Teesside club's ascent up the second-tier standings has taken a slight stumble over the past month, with Middlesbrough losing four of their last six league contests, but the trip to managerless Swansea City last weekend reaped maximum points, as Sam Greenwood and Australia international Sam Silvera both got onto the scoresheet.
Three points in South Wales moved Carrick's charges up to 13th in the Championship table after collecting 30 points from 22 matches, meaning they sit six points behind sixth-placed Hull City and the same number behind Carlos Corberan's West Brom ahead of Saturday's clash in the North East.
Following the departure of Golden Boot winner Chuba Akpom to Eredivisie giants Ajax over the summer, sharing the goalscoring responsibility around the forward line has been a major priority for Middlesbrough, who currently have Emmanuel Latte Lath and Leeds United loanee Greenwood leading the team's scoring charts with five strikes each.
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After suffering back-to-back defeats for the first time this season at the start of December against Enzo Maresca's Leicester City and playoff rivals Sunderland, those of a West Brom persuasion will be feeling in the festive spirit after collecting results from Rotherham United and Stoke City recently.
The Baggies were pitted up against a well-organised Millers side - led by new manager Leam Richardson for the first time - on December 12 but navigated their way to three points in Yorkshire thanks to Grady Diangana's opener and a sensational free-kick effort from former Millwall man Jed Wallace.
Last weekend saw a managerless Stoke rock up to The Hawthorns and take a surprise lead courtesy of Lynden Gooch's speculative strike, but Albion were able to force a share of the spoils through Brandon Thomas-Asante's sixth of the league term, meaning he is now head-to-head with John Swift at the top of the team's scoring charts.
Whilst the Black Country outfit desperately attempts to move away from the neglectful ownership of Guochuan Lai in the early stages of 2024, head coach Corberan is doing his utmost to ensure the club's fortunes are favourable on the pitch, and the Spaniard currently has the Baggies in fifth place, three points ahead of Michael Beale's Sunderland in seventh.
Poor form away from The Hawthorns cost West Brom a top-six finish last term, but the West Midlands side have fared a lot better on their Championship travels over the past few months, winning three of their last five outings, including successes at Erol Bulut's Cardiff City and Mark Robins's Coventry City.
Team News
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Middlesbrough's progression into the last four of the EFL Cup on Tuesday night came at a massive cost in terms of injuries, with leading marksman Lath and winger Isaiah Jones being forced off due to hamstring issues.
Goalscorers Rogers and Crooks were also substituted as a precaution in the closing stages of the win over Port Vale, meaning youngsters Calum Kavanagh and Law McCabe could be involved at the Riverside this weekend.
Defender Rav van den Berg missed the quarter-final clash due to a stiff back and will be assessed ahead of Saturday, while Paddy McNair has not featured since suffering back spasms in the loss at Leeds on December 2.
Darragh Lenihan and Tommy Smith are both out for the remainder of the 2023-24 season because of Achilles tendon injuries, further limiting Carrick's options in defence.
After being on the West Brom bench for the win at Rotherham, playmaker Swift did not feature in the matchday squad last weekend due to hamstring and calf niggles.
Thomas-Asante will continue at the head of Albion's attack as Daryl Dike continues his recovery from a long-term injury, while summer arrival Josh Maja could be sidelined for the rest of the season after a poor challenge from Sunderland's Dan Ballard a fortnight ago.
Matt Phillips suffered a hamstring injury in the defeat to Leicester and is expected to be sidelined until the latter stages of the campaign, so Connor Townsend is set for an uncontested run on the left side of the Baggies' defensive line.
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Dieng; Dijksteel; Fry, Clarke, Engel; Howson, Barlaser; Silvera, Crooks, Rogers; Kavanagh
West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:
Palmer; Furlong, Kipre, Bartley, Townsend; Yokuslu, Mowatt, Diangana, Wallace, Sarmiento; Thomas-Asante
We say: Middlesbrough 1-1 West Bromwich Albion
In theory, Middlesbrough should be full of confidence following their EFL Cup success on Tuesday, but a fresh wave of injury concerns threaten to hinder the hosts this weekend.
West Brom have not been at their best since the 2-0 win over Ipswich Town last month, although the Baggies should be good enough for a point at the Riverside.
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Top tip
Carter White
