Battling to retain their second-tier status, Plymouth Argyle will host promotion-chasing Middlesbrough at Home Park in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.
The Green Army suffered an expected defeat at the home of Sheffield United last time out, whilst Boro picked up a narrow home win over Millwall on Teesside.
Match preview
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Since the 1-0 win over relegation rivals Portsmouth on November 5, Plymouth Argyle have slumped back down to their worrying ways under Wayne Rooney, with Saturday's hosts at Home Park now six games without success following a routine defeat against Sheffield United last weekend.
The Green Army started the contest relatively brightly but were behind after just 19 minutes due to a Gustavo Hamer strike, and in the second half the Blades' advantage in the competition was doubled, with Wales international Kieffer Moore holding his nerve from the penalty spot.
In the midst of a concerning four-game losing run, Plymouth have dropped down to 23rd place in the Championship standings ahead of Saturday's visit of Middlesbrough, although the Devon-based club are just a single point behind Cardiff City in the relative safety of 21st.
Rooney's troops would be fighting for a top-half finish if the league table was determined purely on home form, with the Green Army recording all four of their second-tier wins so far this season at Home Park, including notable successes over Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland.
Earning a spot in the Championship's Team of the Season at the end of 2023-24 following a 19-goal term, Morgan Whittaker has struggled to replicate his sensational form this time around, managing a mere three strikes across 15 appearances as Plymouth battle against relegation to League One.
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Competing in and around the playoffs over the last three seasons, Middlesbrough are on a mission to secure a spot in the Premier League for the first time since 2017, with current head coach Michael Carrick and his side representing serious contenders for a top-six finish.
A tricky start to December saw Boro pit their wits against both Burnley and Leeds United - a pair of fixtures which yielded just a single point - but the Teesside giants returned to winning ways last Saturday, when Millwall were defeated during their final match under the stewardship of Neil Harris.
Hurtling towards the halfway point of the 2024-25 campaign, Middlesbrough are currently occupying sixth position in the all-important Championship table, level on points with Watford in seventh and a sizeable eight points behind Leeds in the lowest of the automatic promotion spots.
Boro have been relatively good on their second-tier travels so far this campaign, collecting 14 points from 10 matches away from the Riverside Stadium, with their most recent away success arriving on November 23, when Carrick's charges recorded a 6-2 battering of Oxford United.
Sharing the goalscoring burden at the top end of the pitch for Middlesbrough this season, summer arrival Tommy Conway and Emmanuel Latte Lath have both bagged eight strikes in the Championship this season, whilst six-goal Finn Azaz continues to make headlines from an advanced midfield role.
Team News
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Plymouth remain without the services of last season's leading marksman Whittaker, who is expected to be out until the middle of January with a toe injury.
The Pilgrims' attacking options are reduced further by the absence of Ibrahim Cissoko, with the Toulouse loanee currently nursing a groin issue.
In a time of great worry amid a relegation scrap, Plymouth are battling on without the knowhow of Joe Edwards, with the 34-year-old suffering a hamstring strain in late October.
Middlesbrough are particularly short in full-back areas ahead of this weekend's jaunt to Devon, with Luke Ayling (muscle) and Alex Bangura (Achilles) out of action.
Scoring once and providing five assists so far this term, Scotland international and Liverpool loanee Ben Doak is making a great impression on the Teesside club.
Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:
Grimshaw; Mumba, Szucs, Gibson, Galloway; Randell, Gyabi, Bundu, Al Haji, Obafemi; Gray
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Brynn; Dijksteel, Van den Berg, Edmundson, Borges; Howson, Hackney; Doak, Azaz, Burgzorg; Lath
We say: Plymouth Argyle 1-4 Middlesbrough
Aiming to avoid a fifth straight defeat in the Championship, Plymouth are unlikely to experience any festive cheer as playoff hopefuls Middlesbrough come to town this weekend.
Boro have already smashed Oxford on the road this season, and it could be a similar narrative at the expense of another relegation candidate on Saturday afternoon.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
