Middlesbrough

Oxford United will look to continue their bounce back against play off chasing Middlesbrough at Riverside on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The U's ended a poor run on nine winless games (W5 D4) with a victory over Watford prior to the international break and will be looking to disrupt yet another top six chaser in Boro.

Though the Teesside club will feel victory is a must, having already dropped three points off the pace of the promotion hunting pack and could risk falling further away with the three teams above (Bristol City, West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City) all finding themselves in fine form.

• Middlesbrough are unbeaten across their last nine league games against Oxford United (W7 D2), since a 3-1 defeat in February 1990.

• Oxford United have lost 10 of their 13 away league games against Middlesbrough (W2 D1), scoring just eight goals in total across that time.

• After winning each of their last two home league games, Middlesbrough will be looking to win three in succession at the Riverside Stadium for the first time since October 2023.

• Oxford have won just one of their last 10 league games (D4 L5), though that sole victory did come in their last fixture, a 1-0 home win against Watford.

• No player has provided more assists in the Championship this season than Middlesbrough Finn Azaz (11), whilst in the reverse fixture against Oxford, he recorded four goal contributions in total (2 goals, 2 assists) – his most in a league match during his career so far.

Mark Drury
BBC Radio Tees commentator

Image source, Rex Features

Eight games to secure the play-off place that was viewed as the bare minimum, both inside and outside the club last August.

Middlesbrough's season has been baffling to fans and media alike.

Michael Carrick's side sit just three points outside the play-off positions yet have managed to lose 14 games already (the most in the top eight) and recently emerged from a five-game losing streak.

They boast the third-most potent attack in the division and week after week we hear opposing managers talking about Boro's squad being one of the best in the division.

Yet many fans have long since given up on the play-offs and rail against any talk of reaching them as the stuff of fantasy.

Faith in Carrick was severely tested during a run of seven defeats in eight in all competitions between January and mid-February but recent times have seen Boro win three from five to keep the top six in sight.

The fact they did so in the midst of a defensive crisis has served as grist to the mill for both supporters and critics of the Boro boss alike.

When Dael Fry limped off in the closing stages of Boro's 1-0 defeat at Swansea City, it left Middlesbrough in the position of not having a single fit senior centre-back at the club.

With Rav van den Berg out with a troublesome knee injury and George Edmundson also sidelined with an ankle problem it meant full-back Neto Borges and midfielder Jonny Howson had to fill in.

Another makeshift centre-back, Luke Ayling, has also been sidelined with an ankle injury which might keep him out for the rest of the season.

It's a run of bad luck to be sure, but was it foreseeable? Well yes, because when Matt Clarke was allowed to join Derby County in January without being replaced the Boro boss was asked if he was concerned about a lack of depth in that position?

His answer was he didn't need another centre-back as three was probably going to be enough and Howson and Ayling could fill in if required.

So much of Boro's play-off prospects now rest on the shoulders of Howson and Borges. The pair put in sterling performances against Queens Park Rangers and Luton Town before the international break but Howson is just back from injury too and the 36-year-old played both games without participating in a single training session.

With games at Blackburn Rovers and at home to Leeds United on the horizon the need for one or more of Fry, van den Berg or Edmundson to return is pressing.

Image source, Rex Features

At the top end of the pitch the loss of Liverpool loanee Ben Doak to injury has impacted Boro's attacking play. As has the departure of Emmanuel Latte Lath, sold to Atlanta United in January for a club record fee.

His replacement, Kelechi Iheanacho has yet to convince and hasn't scored since arriving at The Riverside. Boro need him to find his feet quickly to support Tommy Conway.

Despite the many issues they face, Boro are well capable of having a good shot at the play-offs. They still have talented attacking players like Finn Azaz, Delano Burgzorg and Conway while Hayden Hackney has delivered five goals from midfield.

Boro's final match is away to Coventry City. For that game to matter they have to string a winning run together, starting at home to Oxford United this Saturday.

If Carrick's side do make it into the play-offs they'll definitely have gone the long way round.

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney has scored his first international goal during England's Under-21's 4-2 win against Portugal at The Hawthorns on Monday.

Sheffield Wednesday's James Beadle had made multiple saves to prevent Portugal taking the lead before Hackney was gifted possession to fire in the opener.

The 22-year-old has made nine appearances for the under-21s, making his debut in 2023 under current boss Lee Carsley.

Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham and Burnley defender CJ Egan-Riley provided assists in the victory, with the Black Cats teenager setting up Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri to score on his full debut appearance.

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesbrough midfielder Finn Azaz scored his first international goal as the Republic of Ireland beat Bulgaria 2-1 in the first leg of their Uefa Nations League play-off.

The 24-year-old converted from close range after 21 minutes in Plovdiv as the Republic came from behind to take a slender lead into Sunday's second leg.

"[Troy Parrott] put it on a plate for me, so I'll say thank you to Troy for that. It was a great ball from Robbie [Brady] too and I just had to be in there," Azaz told RTE.

"It was probably the easiest goal I have ever scored; I don't score many headers so I'm glad to score one tonight."

Avoiding defeat in the return fixture in Dublin at the weekend will see the Republic of Ireland retain their status in League B.

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesbrough must not start looking at the form of other teams in their chase for the Championship play-offs, according to goalkeeper Mark Travers.

Boro drew 0-0 at Luton on Saturday and are three points adrift of the top six as they enter the international break.

"The main thing for us and the club is to just focus on us," Travers told BBC Radio Tees.

"When you start adding up points your next fixture becomes really difficult and you end up putting pressure on yourselves and thinking about things that aren't in your control.

"All we can do is go to the next game after the international break, try to get a win and push up the table - we'll just focus on what we can do and hopefully that'll be more than enough come May."

The Republic of Ireland international joined Middlesbrough on loan from Bournemouth at the end of the January transfer window and has played nine league games, keeping two clean sheets.

"It's hard coming in January when a lot of the games are being played but I was excited to come here and all the boys have been great with me and it's been easy to settle," he added.

Middlesbrough return to action after the international break on 29 March when they host Oxford United.

Image source, Rex Features

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick was full of praise for his side's character and ability to adapt in the 0-0 draw against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road.

Boro were forced to defend for long spells as the Hatters created - and wasted - numerous chances.

"We had a new back four with players playing out of position so we knew it would be a challenge and it proved to be like that," Carrick told BBC Radio Tees. "Sometimes you earn your luck and everyone was fully committed and we needed Trav [Goalkeeper Mark Travers] at times. He made some good saves.

"It wasn't a classic terms of quality of football. We knew that coming here there would be moments we had to defend. We spoke about that before the game. We knew we had to adapt.

"They pitch was difficult to pass the ball on; it was as bobbly as you could get and everything that didn't really suit us. It was a challenge to play good football.

"I was really pleased with the boys and how we stuck at it and we could have nicked one at the end.

"It's an important point and there are a lot of positives to take from that even though it wasn't a classic on the eye. We knew we would have to defend and we were ready for it."

Luton Town will start the day two points adrift of Championship safety when they face play-off chasing Middlesbrough on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Hatters have won two of their past three league games, while Boro have won three out of four to reignite their hopes of a top-six finish.

• Luton are unbeaten in their past seven home league games against Middlesbrough (W4 D3) since losing 1-0 back in October 1974.

• Middlesbrough are looking to complete a league double over Luton Town for the first time since the 1973-74 campaign under Jack Charlton.

• Luton Town have won five of their past 11 home league games (D3 L3) and haven't conceded more than one goal in any of those 11 at Kenilworth Road.

• Middlesbrough have lost five of their past six away league matches, winning the other 3-1 against Stoke City in February.

• Tommy Conway has scored six goals in his past 10 away league appearances for Middlesbrough.

Image source, Rex Features

Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick believes that his team still has a 'great chance' of making the play-offs.

The 2-1 win over QPR was a third in four games and with none of the teams above them winning on Tuesday, Boro are only three points outside the top six.

And with nine games to play, starting away at Luton Town on Saturday, Carrick is feeling optimistic.

"They're still there [in the play-off race]. We've got to obviously keep that opportunity alive," he told BBC Radio Tees.

Listen, it's so close and Saturday's another important game.

"We're going to be saying that now until the end of the season. There are probably going to be twists and turns and we've just got to keep plugging away.

"We're still in it, we've got a chance – we've got a great chance, actually – and let's just see what happens."

"I'll do whatever's asked of me. I did it as a young lad coming through and I'm doing it as an old lad on the way out. That'll never change," Middlesbrough midfielder-turned-defender Jonny Howson tells BBC Radio Tees.

In the absence of fit central defenders, Howson and left-back Neto Borges transformed into high-quality centre-backs to help Boro into a 2-1 win against fellow play-off chasers Queen's Park Rangers on Tuesday night.

Paul Addison is joined by former Middlesbrough midfielder Neil Maddison to talk about the makeshift defensive duo and the Teeside team's performance as they look to return to the top six.

Includes interviews with Howson and boss Michael Carrick.

You can listen to the full reaction and more on the Red Alert podcast.

Middlesbrough welcome QPR to the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday night (19:45 GMT) looking to keep their Championship play-off hopes alive.

Boro's top six ambitions were dented by a 1-0 defeat at Swansea on Saturday - their seventh loss in 10 games - and sit five points behind West Bromwich Albion in sixth.

The Hoops have seen their own play-off quest become increasingly unlikely with three straight defeats leaving them them 11 points off the top six.

• Middlesbrough have won three of their past four league games against QPR (L1), scoring 2+ goals in each of those victories.

• QPR have won four of their past five away league games against Middlesbrough (L1), as many as across their prior 13 visits to face Boro.

• Middlesbrough are looking to win successive home league games for only the second time this season, previously doing so in November/December.

• QPR have won five of their past seven midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league matches (L2), though did lose the most recent such game 1-0 at Coventry last month.

• Middlesbrough have won each of their past four league games against London clubs; in their Football League history, their longest winning run over sides from the capital is five games, achieved on six previous occasions, most recently in March 2015.

Middlesbrough will look to retain their good form from their previous two matches as they cross the border to visit Swansea City on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

A run of five consecutive losses saw Boro out of the top 10, but wins over Derby County and Stoke City now see them back on track with a play off spot just two points away.

While the Swans held their nerve against Preston North End last time out to go 10 points clear of relegation.

• Swansea City have failed to win any of their last seven league games against Middlesbrough (D1 L6), since a 2-1 win in March 2021.

• Middlesbrough have won each of their last five league games against Swansea City, as many victories as across their prior 16 matches against the Swans (D4 L7).

• Swansea City won 3-0 against Blackburn at Liberty Stadium in their last home game. They haven't won consecutive home league games without conceding since April 2024.

• Middlesbrough have won their last two Championship matches, having lost five in a row beforehand. They are looking for three consecutive wins for the first time since November 2024.

• Finn Azaz has created 2.4 chances per 90 minutes in the Championship for Middlesbrough this season. Among players to play 2,000+ minutes in a Championship season for Boro, that is the best ratio since Grant Leadbitter in 2014-15 (2.6 per 90).