Aitor Karanka won’t be on the touchline for today’s game
away at Charlton, after a reported bust up with the team on Friday.
Karanka didn’t take training yesterday afternoon and hasn’t travelled
with the team down to London. Assistant manager Steve Agnew will therefore take
charge until the matter is resolved.
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| Assistant Steve Agnew will take charge of the team (Picture from Gazette Boro) |
The incident follows a run of inconsistent results for Boro,
who lost to relegation-threatened Rotherham on Tuesday night.
Today’s game will recreate a similar scenario, with Charlton
sitting in an uncomfortable 23rd position and eight points from
safety.
Despite their off field shenanigans, Boro remain second in
the table with 11 games to go. A victory today would set them up nicely for
next Friday’s crucial game with promotion rivals Hull, who dropped points
against MK Dons yesterday.
At the other end of the table new Charlton manager José Riga
will be hoping to build on his sides recent improvements which have seen them
take 4 points from their last two games.
Team News
Boro centre back Daniel Ayala remains out with an ankle
problem but captain Grant Leadbitter should be available again after starting
on the bench at Rotherham.
However it should be noted that the midfielder has picked up
nine yellow cards this season so will face a two game suspension if he receives
one more.
Charlton will be without striker Yaya Sanogo, on loan from
Arsenal, after he was sent off against MK Dons in mid-week. Goalkeeper Stephen
Henderson missed that game and will be assessed ahead of today’s match.
The Opposition
Times have been bleak at Charlton for a while now and there
have been a number of protests from fans against Belgian chairman Roland
Duchatelet for his running of the club.
This campaign has been one to forget for the Addicks, who
are eight points from safety with 10 games to go.
In October they sacked manager Guy Luzon after less than a
year in charge. His predecessor Karel Fraeye lasted just three months and they
have now turned back to former manager Jose Riga, who kept them up back in
2014.
Results have been mixed since his reappointment in January,
however after losing a goal packed game 4-3 to Reading at the end of February -
in which Sanogo scored a hat trick – Charlton have won away at Brentford before
a goalless draw at home to MK Dons.
One To Watch
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| Charlton's Callum Harriott (Picture from www.watfordobserver.co.uk) |
Callum Harriott
The 22-year-old has been in and out of the starting 11 over the last
few years but looks like he may have finally pinned down a first team place.
The pacey winger scored both goals in Charlton’s 2-1 win at
Brentford last weekend and seems to have benefited from a loan spell at
Colchester earlier in the season.
If he can continue to score he will be a valuable assist in Charlton's late bid for survival.
Last Time Out
Middlesbrough 3
Charlton 0
For 60 minutes it was a frustrating afternoon for Boro at
the Riverside back in October. Charlton showed no signs of attacking as they
placed 11 men behind the ball and tried to hold out for a draw.
Eventually David Nugent broke the deadlock with a poachers
finish inside the area, Albert Adomah added a second minutes later before
Daniel Ayala headed in a third.
Team I Would Play
GK Dimi Konstantopulos
RB Ritchie De Laet
CB Tomas Kalas
CB Ben Gibson
LB George Friend
CM Adam Clayton
CM Adam Forshaw
LM Albert Adomah
RM Emilio Nsue
CAM Gaston Ramirez
ST Jordan Rhodes
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