Two Championship teams will lock horns in the first round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday evening, with Huddersfield Town welcoming Middlesbrough to the John Smith's Stadium.
Huddersfield opened their league season with a 3-1 defeat to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday afternoon, while Boro began their 2023-24 campaign with a 1-0 home loss to Millwall.
Match preview
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Huddersfield finished 18th in the Championship last season, with Neil Warnock guiding the team to survival after arriving as head coach in February, but the club have not done much business during the current window, only bringing in Chris Maxwell and Tom Edwards to boost the squad.
The Terriers made a disappointing start to their 2023-24 campaign on Saturday, suffering a 3-1 defeat to Plymouth, with the home side scoring twice in the final 20 minutes to secure all three points.
Warnock's side will be looking to bounce back in the Championship when they welcome Leicester City next weekend, and it is set to be a fascinating battle in the second tier of English football this season due to the strength of the teams in the division.
In truth, the EFL Cup is not high on Huddersfield's list of priorities this season; they have never won the competition, although the team famously lifted the FA Cup in 1922.
The Terriers recorded a 4-2 victory over Boro when the two teams last locked horns in the Championship in April, while they are unbeaten against Middlesbrough since November 2021.
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The visitors will also enter this match off the back of a disappointing result, having suffered a 1-0 defeat to Millwall in their Championship opener on Saturday, with Romain Esse netting the winner late on.
Boro finished fourth in the Championship last season, which saw them qualify for the playoffs, but they were beaten by Coventry City in the semi-finals, keeping them in the second tier of English football.
Middlesbrough will return to league action against Coventry next weekend, while they will face Huddersfield in the Championship at the Riverside Stadium on August 19.
Michael Carrick's side have been busy this summer in terms of incomings, bringing in the likes of Seny Dieng, Tom Glover, Jamie Jones, Morgan Rogers and Rav van den Berg to boost their squad.
Boro have won the League Cup on one previous occasion, lifting the trophy in 2004, while they have been the runners-up a further two times in the cup competition.
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Team News
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Huddersfield will again be missing three players through injury for this contest, with Tom Lees, David Kasumu and Oliver Turton on the sidelines.
Matty Pearson is also out due to the issue that he picked up in the first half of the clash with Plymouth, which led to his withdrawal in the latter stages of the first period.
Warnock will shuffle his pack for Tuesday's contest, with Jonathan Hogg, Maxwell, Ben Jackson and Pat Jones among those set to come into the starting side.
Boro, meanwhile, will be missing Tommy Smith and Anfernee Dijksteel due to injury problems.
Head coach Carrick will also make wholesale changes to the side that took to the field for the first whistle against Millwall on Saturday, with Chuba Akpom likely to come in for a start.
Van den Berg and Glover should both make their debuts for the club, having been unused substitutes against Millwall, while Joshua Coburn could also be given the opportunity to impress from the start.
Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Maxwell; Nakayama, Spencer, Hogg, Jackson; Edmonds-Green, Rudoni; Jackson, Hudlin, Harratt; Ward
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Glover; McNair, Fry, Van den Berg, Clarke; Payero, Howson; Jones, Coburn, Gilbert; Akpom
We say: Huddersfield Town 0-1 Middlesbrough
It is difficult to know exactly what to expect from this match, as both managers will make wholesale changes from Saturday's Championship openers. Middlesbrough arguably have the greater strength in depth, though, and we are backing Carrick's side to emerge victorious in order to progress to the second round.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
