Live
Birmham vs Mboro
Sky Bet Chboat
7:45pm Friday 4th October
St. Andrews Stadium
Birmingham confront Middlesbrough in the Sky Bet Championship on Friday, live on Sky Sports Football.
Birmingham welcome straight back Marc Roberts along with Jacques Maghoma in their squad. Defender Roberts missed the midweek defeat at Wigan although winger Maghoma had been so also rested as he fights with a calf issue.
Boss Pep Clotet has confirmed the duo have been in contention, stating:Marc and Jacques are great, no problem. Present registering Josh McEachran is alsogetting closer to becoming included, with another U23 run-out pencilled in for Friday.
Middlesbrough will assess the fitness of arriving midfielder Jonny Howson before the trip. Tuesdays 1-1 draw at home to Preston was Howsons very first match in three weeks after hernia surgery and boss Jonathan Woodgate will be keen to ease him back softly.
Howson was one of four changes to Boros starting line-up in midweek, together with Marcus Tavernier, Marcus Browne and Daniel Ayala also coming in. They impressed and will hope to continue to keep their spots, though Woodgate has signaled a shift in approach. You cant always be nice and pretty, he explained. Sometimes youve got to grind it out, graft and perform the horrible things of this game and well do this on Friday.
Neither aspect comes into this game at the top of shape. Middlesbrough have not 13 points to date this year, three more than Birmingham, but have lost three matches on the twist. Wigan, Derby and Preston have defeated them in a row, going into this clash at St Andrews.
Middlesbrough are also without a win in three, but did at least pick up a point at home to Preston in midweek to finish a streak of two straight defeats, including a 4-1 beating at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. They start the weekend 20th in the table.
Pep Clotet:I put myself under increasing strain to win since I believe we have the capacity within this club to not only bounce back – but also to turn effects. I dont feel any kind of pressure in the club or some portion of it – we are all very aware where we come out, all of the work we had to put in the summertime, how the situation was.
We are focused on the fact that the staff managed to perform the very best start in 11 years, were four points off the play-offswe have more points than last season. I believe it is a moment where we all must sit down, calm down and concentrate a whole lot on trying to get the outcome against Middlesbrough.
Jonathan Woodgate:It is not how you begin the season its how you finish. I believe thats the thing that is significant. I was talking to Alex (Neil) following the Preston game and he said last year that they had five points after 10 games.
Its important you simply ride it out, you remain together as a golf club and the fans remain together, they remain individual, I know that its hard for them, but that is exactly what you require.
Woodgate was at Real Madrid, won England caps and played in the Champions League, however nothing in his career has so much felt better to him than leading out his hometown team as a manager.
The defender took charge at the club at the summer following the death of Tony Pulis, whom he had served under as a trainer for 18 months. He understands the value of the club into the town.
Only getting the task in the first place made me immensely proud, Woodgate told Sky Bet. To be the manager of my club, who Ive supported since I was six, its a large achievement for me personally.
Birmingham are having an campaign. They have looked excellent and just like they might have a push for the top ten, and other times they seem as though they could slip towards the relegation zone.
Middlesbrough fans might want to give Jonathan Woodgate time to get things straight because of his connections with the team, but 20th in this stage is not good enough for them. I believe the Blues will nick this one.
David Prutton predicts: 1-0 (11/2 with Sky Bet)
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