Middlesbrough get their Championship campaign back up and running after the international break as they travel to Peterborough United on Saturday afternoon.
Middlesbrough currently sit in seventh position in the table and are two points outside of the play-off places. A win against Posh could take them up to as high as fifth if other results go their way.
Four of their players were away on international duty, with Paddy McNair and Andraz Sporar turning out for Northern Ireland and Slovenia’s senior teams. Whilst Folarin Balogun and Nathan Wood played for England’s youth sides.
The quartet will return to Teesside unscathed and all four will be fit and available to take on Peterborough United this weekend.
Team News
McNair limped off against Chelsea in Boro’s last outing but played 90 minutes for Northern Ireland against Hungary in midweek and so will be in contention to start.
Dael Fry also came off in the same game and was replaced at half-time. There is no update on the defender as of yet as the club continue their assessment.
Midfielder Riley McGree could be fit again and could make the bench.
Elsewhere, long-term absentees Darnell Fisher, Sammy Ameobi, and Martin Payero are all still out injury and won’t feature.
Predicted XI
GK – Joe Lumley
RWB – Isaiah Jones
CB – Anfernee Dijksteel
CB – Dael Fry
CB – Paddy McNair
LWB – Marc Bola
CM – Jonny Howson
CM – Matt Crooks
CM – Marcus Tavernier
ST – Aaron Connolly
ST – Folarin Balogun
We predict just one change from the side that lost to Chelsea before the international break with Marc Bola coming in for Neil Taylor at left wing-back.
Bola impressed off the bench against the Blues and Taylor was punished for lapses in concentration down his left-side by the likes of Mason Mount and Hakim Ziyech.
We predict the rest of the side to stay the same, although there could be rotation up front, with Sporar, Duncan Watmore, and Josh Coburn in contention to replace Connolly.
