Bristol City meet Middlesbrough in a huge Sky Bet Championship clash between two promotion-chasing challengers.
Victory could lift Bristol City as high as eighth in the table, whilst Middlesbrough will stay second regardless of the result.
A win however would put Boro within two points of league leaders, Coventry if the Sky Blues lose at Southampton in the lunchtime kick-offs.
Team News
Rob Atkinson could return for Bristol City following his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Mark Sykes however is ruled out after he suffered a quad injury in their 1-0 defeat at Coventry.
Zak Vyner (knee) and George Tanner (knock) could return but Joe Williams (ankle), Max Bird (calf) and Luke McNally (ACL) remain ruled out.
Neto Borges is ineligible to face his parent club in this fixture due to the terms of his loan from Boro.
Middlesbrough have no fresh injury concerns to report ahead of this match after their 3-1 win at home to QPR.
Dael Fry (calf) is unlikely to return unless he passes late fitness checks, but Aidan Morris (muscle), Abdoulaye Kante (hernia/groin) and Darragh Lenihan (Achilles) remain ruled out.
When is Kick-Off?
Bristol City host Middlesbrough at Ashton Gate on Saturday 20 December at 3pm GMT, untelevised live in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Bristol City are unbeaten in their last seven meetings against Middlesbrough (W5, D2).
- Middlesbrough have avoided defeat in four of their last seven trips to Bristol City (W2, D2, L3), but haven’t won in their last four recent visits (D1, L3).
- Two of Bristol City’s last three wins over Boro were by 2-1 results.
- Bristol City have won just one of their last four home matches (W1, D1, L2).
- Middlesbrough’s Morgan Whittaker is looking to score in seven consecutive matches for the first time in his senior career.
Prediction
Although their form has been inconsistent since early November, Bristol City certainly know how to bring plenty of fighting spirit as they did at Coventry but just lacked the clinical final touch which ultimately settled a tight match, but there are still positives to take from their effort at the leaders.
Middlesbrough meanwhile don’t have a great recent record at Bristol City in their last four visits, yet are in excellent form since Kim Hellberg’s arrival with Whittaker in particular looking a handful for oppositional defences, so expect them to come out and play like they’ve done lately.
Boro however have now gone almost two months without a clean sheet so I expect goals here but on current form, you have to think that they will have too much for their hosts.
Prediction: Bristol City 1-2 Middlesbrough
Result: Bristol City 2-0 Middlesbrough
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