Middlesbrough take on Watford in the early kick-off on Easter Monday in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
Middlesbrough go into the game in ninth and needing a win to keep any minimal hopes of the play-offs alive. They are seven points outside of the top six with just seven games left to play between now and the end of the season.
On the other hand, Watford are second. A win for the Hornets would see them take a step closer to automatic promotion. They are six points off Norwich City in first and they are nine points ahead of Swansea City in third.
Watford won the reverse fixture 1-0 at Vicarage Road. The two sides opened the Championship season back in September, with Craig Cathcart grabbing the winner, heading in from a corner.
Middlesbrough were defeated 3-1 in their last outing at the hands of Bournemouth. Neil Warnock has made two changes from the side that lost at the Vitality Stadium. Midfielder George Saville and winger Djed Spence have replaced Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Yannick Bolasie and the line up announcement hasn’t particularly gone down well with Boro supporters.
That is horrific https://t.co/Po56yfMXdV
— Harry (@Harrylawson2003) April 5, 2021
oh my god what is that
— Will (@wildersreds) April 5, 2021
I FEEL SICK🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
— louie birkett (@louie_birkett23) April 5, 2021
😂😂😂😂😂
— Tyler (@Tyler_Boro) April 5, 2021
April fools was 4 days ago ffs🤣
— borotillidie (@borotillidie1) April 5, 2021
That team hahhahaha 🤣🤦🏼♂️
— Simon Hide (@sihide1) April 5, 2021
I would love to see what Warnock sees in Spence and I truly hope I am made to look like an idiot but that's got to be one of our weakest line ups this season
— Daniel (@quarantiern) April 5, 2021
Djed Spence came under fire from Middlesbrough fans in their recent 1-0 defeat to Millwall and fans have questioned his involvement in today’s game.
Howpfully Spence plays well on sky today. Might get a few quid for him in the summer then, if not he will be released soon enough
— David King 🔴⚪️🔴 (@DavidKingy1982) April 5, 2021
https://twitter.com/HarryPattison3/status/1379018659360866304?s=20
Erm Spence? pic.twitter.com/tInujTjGhj
— dean (@deanjameshill) April 5, 2021
The fact djed gets the nod before Marvin is criminal https://t.co/fimDVLNEao
— Chris Edwards (@ChrisEd90172340) April 5, 2021
Middlesbrough fans will be hoping to be proved wrong in what is looking like a must-win game. Neil Warnock recently spoke out about the season being over for his side with the play-offs now likely out of reach. He could be giving players on the peripheries more opportunities for the remainder of the campaign.