Middlesbrough make the journey to Wales this weekend as they face off with Swansea City in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.
Michael Carrick's side are currently ninth in the standings, just two points off the playoff places, while the Swans are currently 16th.
Match preview
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Having narrowly missed out on the playoffs last season, Boro will be hoping that they can avoid the same fate this time around.
The visitors have regained a little bit of form in recent weeks, having won their last two matches in the division, after enduring a miserable spell over the winter, winning just twice in two months between December 21 and February 21.
Those 13 matches played in those two months could prove costly, especially as the run finished with a five-match losing streak in the league that included defeats to promotion rivals Bristol City, Sunderland and Sheffield United.
With wins over struggling Stoke City and Derby County in recent weeks, Carrick will be hoping that his side are now through the worst of it.
Should they win this weekend, it would be the first time since November 2024 that Boro have managed three consecutive victories in the league.
With this weekend's match coming against a Swansea side in 16th, as well as games against 14th-placed Queens Park Rangers and 22nd-placed Luton Town on the horizon, Middlesbrough will feel that they can pick up points in the weeks to come.
Despite having their troubles in recent months, Boro are still the third-highest scoring side in the division, with 55 goals in 35 matches – a record only bettered by Norwich City and Leeds United.
They will be looking to improve on their home record this weekend, having already dropped points in 10 of their 18 home games, they know that they cannot afford many slip-ups between now and the end of the campaign.
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Boro take on a Swansea side that have also had a difficult time of late, having lost eight times in the 12 games they have played in all competitions since the turn of the year.
A run of seven defeats in nine matches was enough for the Swans to part ways with Luke Williams last month, and the Welsh outfit are still searching for a permanent successor, with Hibernian boss David Gray being linked to the post in the media.
For this weekend at least, it will be caretaker boss Alan Sheehan in charge of Swansea, and he has helped to ease the pressure on the club with a win and a draw in his two games in charge so far.
Those four points could prove valuable for a team that are now 10 points clear of danger in the Championship, and they hope to continue their unbeaten start under Sheehan this weekend.
The Swans are closer to the relegation zone than they are to the playoffs, but as long as they keep picking up results, they will almost certainly be competing in the Championship again next year.
Sheehan will be hoping to improve on his side's record in front of their own fans this season, as the Swans have the fifth-worst home record in the league, with 23 points from 17 games.
He started his caretaker stint in charge with a commanding 3-0 triumph over Blackburn Rovers, as goals from Zan Vipotnik, Myles Peart-Harris and Liam Cullen secured all three points for the Swans.
If Swansea manage to win this match without conceding, it would be the first time that the Swans have managed consecutive home wins without allowing a goal since last April.
Sheehan's side also managed a goalless draw at Preston North End last time out, which was another sign of improvement for the Swans, although it did highlight one of their major weaknesses this year, as only eight sides have scored fewer times this season than Swansea in the league.
The hosts will be looking to get revenge for their defeat to Middlesbrough back in August, as a penalty from Emmanuel Latte Lath proved to be the difference between the two sides in a 1-0 win for Boro.
However, the Swans have a miserable record against Boro in recent years, having lost six and drawn once against them since their last victory against Middlesbrough, a 2-1 win back in March 2021.
Team News
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Joe Allen is expected to be in contention for this clash, having been named on the bench against Preston following a recent ankle injury.
However, Kristian Pedersen is not expected to feature in this match due to a hamstring injury.
Meanwhile, the visitors will be without George Edmundson (ankle), as well as Rav van den Berg (knee) for this contest.
Luke Ayling went off with an ankle injury during last weekend's win against Derby, which adds to the defensive woes for Carrick's side.
A potential solution would be to play full-back Neto Borges in the centre-back role, as Dael Fry is currently their only fit player remaining in that position.
Elsewhere, Darragh Lenihan, Sol Brynn, Seny Dieng, Riley McGree, Alex Bangura and Ben Doak are all continuing their recoveries from their respective injuries, while Jonny Howson was fit enough to make the bench against Derby following a recent calf issue.
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Vigouroux; Tymon, Darling, Cabango, Key; O'Brien, Franco, Peart-Harris, Cullen, Ronald; Vipotnik
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Travers; Dijksteel, Fry, Borges, Giles; Morris, Hackney, Forss, Whittaker, Azaz; Conway
We say: Swansea City 1-1 Middlesbrough
The hosts look an improved outfit under the temporary guidance of Sheehan, and we think that they can grab a point against a Boro team that are coming out of a rough patch in the league.
The injuries are mounting up for Middlesbrough, and therefore, we feel that Swansea are capable of getting a draw in what should be a close encounter.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Tom Humphrey
