Blackburn Rovers host Middlesbrough at Ewood Park in a festive midweek encounter.
Victory would see Blackburn stay third in the table and potentially cut their deficit to second-placed Sheffield United down to five points, should the Blades lose away at Blackpool in the late-evening kick-off.
Boro meanwhile can go as high as fifth with a win depending upon results elsewhere.
Team News
Tyrhys Dolan is ruled out for Blackburn after he missed their 2-1 defeat at Sunderland on Boxing Day with a groin injury.
Ben Brereton Diaz (foot) and Sammie Szmodics (fitness) are both doubts for this match.
Callum Brittain (medial ligament), Jack Vale (calf), Sam Barnes (knee) and Jake Batty (ankle) remain ruled out.
Boro could be without Jonny Howson after he was substituted during their Boxing Day victory against Wigan with a facial knock.
Anfernee Dijksteel remains absent with a knee injury.
Stat Attack
- Blackburn have lost just one of their last 15 league meetings against Middlesbrough (W6, D8, L1),
- Middlesbrough have won just one of their last seven visits to Ewood Park (W1, D2, L4).
- Four of Blackburn’s last six victories against Middlesbrough came on home turf at Ewood Park.
- Ayala and Tyler Morton have been booked in each of Blackburn’s last two matches.
- Boro are yet to fail to score in a league match since Michael Carrick was appointed manager in late October (W5, D1, L2).
Prediction
Blackburn will certainly feel disheartened by their late loss at Sunderland because despite being outplayed in general, they were defensively excellent but I personally felt that they lacked that final touch at times in what was a physical contest between two strong teams.
This game now is a chance to quickly put that defeat behind them but they will need to be on the front foot and taking their chances, otherwise their dreams of automatic promotion could quickly drift away.
Middlesbrough meanwhile have found their scoring boots under Carrick and were simply clinical in a dominant display against Wigan, despite having to weather a tough first-half before hitting their strides and it could well be more of the same needed here against tougher opposition.
Add in Boro’s poor form against Blackburn not just at Ewood Park but in general then you feel like this could be a difficult evening for the visitors, yet Blackburn’s defence has been inconsistent so I do expect goals and this could go any way.
Prediction: Blackburn 1-1 Middlesbrough
Result: Blackburn 1-2 Middlesbrough
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