Middlesbrough continue their promotion push against relegation-battling Norwich in a Championship clash.
Victory could put Middlesbrough level on points with league leaders, Coventry if the latter lose at QPR.
Norwich can climb as high as 16th with a win depending on results elsewhere.
Team News
David Strelec could return for Middlesbrough after a month out with an ankle injury.
Kaly Sene (leg), Alex Bangura, George Edmundson (both unspecified), Alfie Jones (ankle) and Darragh Lenihan (Achilles) remain ruled out.
Norwich will be without Pelle Mattsson after he suffered an ankle injury during their 2-1 comeback win at home to Coventry.
Josh Sargent (personal), Shane Duffy, Lucien Mahovo (both muscle), Amankwah Forson, Jeffrey Schlupp (both hamstring), Gabe Forsyth (knee) and Mirko Topic (ACL) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Middlesbrough host Norwich at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday 31 January at 3pm GMT, untelevised live in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their last eight league meetings against Norwich (W5, D3).
- Norwich are winless in their last three visits to Middlesbrough (D1, L2).
- Middlesbrough have kept a single clean sheet in their last seven meetings against Norwich, which came in a 0-0 draw at home in April 2025.
- Boro have won their last two home games by 4-0 results, in which Morgan Whittaker and Alan Browne scored in both matches.
- Anis Ben Slimane has scored in Norwich’s last two away games (W2).
Prediction
Now sat three points off the summit with an inferior goal difference to Coventry who they will meet in just over two weeks time, Boro know that they simply must continue their current momentum now after a ruthless 4-0 display which blew Preston away after a slow start.
Norwich though are in their best form of the season with four wins in five and absolutely dominated Coventry at times, yet they lacked a clinical final touch in the first half but were lucky that their finishing improved after half time in an evenly-matched battle to get the win.
This being the Championship though, nothing is ever straight forward so it would be typical if Norwich follow up that win over the league leaders by beating the second-placed team, but I do think that Boro have found their groove again and should be able to grind out the win if not a draw.
Prediction: Middlesbrough 2-1 Norwich
Result: Middlesbrough 1-0 Norwich
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