Separated by three points in the fight for playoff places at the top end of the Championship table, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday will do battle at the Riverside Stadium on Boxing Day.
The hosts currently sit sixth but only lead the chasing pack on goal difference, while their visitors have climbed up to ninth spot with back-to-back victories before Christmas.
Match preview
© Imago
Middlesbrough return to the Riverside Stadium on Thursday aiming to bounce back to winning ways and strengthen their position in the Championship playoff places.
After amassing 30 points from their first 18 outings, Michael Carrick's side hit a tougher spell in December and have now won just one of their last four outings, having initially drawn with Burnley and suffered a 3-1 defeat to Leeds United in a tricky pair of away matches.
Boro then hosted Millwall and put a 10th league victory of the season on the board as Emmanuel Latte Lath netted the only goal of the game, seeing them move onto 20 points from 11 home league games this term, with seven sides having still managed more on home turf.
A trip to Plymouth Argyle then followed on Saturday, and Carrick's men fell behind on three occasions, but Jonny Howson and Hayden Hackney netted second-half equalisers before Latte Lath forced a share of the spoils in a 3-3 draw with a leveller six minutes from time.
Still sitting sixth, but only leading West Bromwich Albion one goal difference, Watford by one point and Thursday's visitors by three, Middlesbrough will aim to bounce back on Boxing Day and build a lead over the chasing pack.
© Imago
The travelling side, meanwhile, head north aiming to move level with the hosts with a third straight victory on Thursday.
In their first full season under the management of Danny Rohl, Sheffield Wednesday have enjoyed a much-improved campaign thus far, currently sitting ninth having earned 32 points from their first 22 outings.
That is in no small part down to their impressive away record, with only four sides bettering the Owls' tally of 16 points in 10 league matches on the road, most recently visiting Oxford United and returning to winning ways with a 3-1 triumph as Josh Windass drew them level and Jamal Lowe and Djeidi Gassama netted second-half goals.
Stoke City then visited Hillsborough on Saturday, and despite going into the second half with 10 men in a goalless game, Rohl's men were able to take another three-point haul thanks to goals from Windass and Callum Paterson.
With confidence and momentum growing in the camp, Sheffield Wednesday will now bid to move within touching distance of the top six with a third straight Championship victory for the first time since the end of last season.
Team News
© Imago
Middlesbrough continue to contend with a long injury list heading into the weekend, as goalkeeper Seny Dieng is set to remain confined to the treatment room alongside defenders Luke Ayling, Tommy Smith and Darragh Lenihan, midfielder Aidan Morris and attacker Marcus Forss.
If DIeng is not deemed fit to return, Sol Brynn will continue to deputise between the sticks, while Matt Clarke will bid to return to the defence after George Edmundson and Rav van den Berg were preferred in the middle of a back four against Plymouth Argyle.
Emmanuel Latte Lath could return to the attack, having netted a team-high tally of nine goals this term, and he may lead the line with support from Tommy Conway, Ben Doak and Finn Azaz, who has notched up six goals and eight assists in 21 Championship games this season.
Danny Rohl should field a similar Sheffield Wednesday starting XI to their win over Stoke City before Christmas, although he is unable to call on defender Di'Shon Bernard, who is suspended after being sent off in that game, while Akin Famewo, Michael Ihiekwe, Olaf Kobacki and Svante Ingelsson may remain sidelined.
The Owls could switch to a back four of Yan Valery, Dominic Iorfa, Max Lowe and Marvin Johnson in the absence of Ihiekwe, Bernard and Famewo, while Liam Palmer also missed the Stoke contest.
Michael Smith should continue to lead the line with support from Josh Windass, who has scored in back-to-back games to move onto seven league goals for the season, while Djeidi Gassama, Ike Ugbo, Jamal Lowe, Anthony Musaba and Callum Paterson will all compete for attacking spots.
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Brynn; Dijksteel, Clarke, Edmundson, Borges; Hackney, Howson; Doak, Azaz, Conway; Latte Lath
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Beadle; Valery, Iorfa, M Lowe, Johnson; Charles, Bannan; Windass, J Lowe, Gassama; Smith
We say: Middlesbrough 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday are growing in confidence under Danny Rohl, but we see a Boxing Day trip to Middlesbrough as a step too far and back the hosts to make their superior quality count at the Riverside Stadium.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
