Aitor Karanka’s side sit 16th in a congested league table, just one point ahead of Hull, who lie three places lower after 13 games.
The visitors, who only had 13 fit players three weeks before the start of the campaign, played through extra time and penalties last Tuesday as they knocked Newcastle out of the League Cup, however the Boro boss isn’t taking tomorrow’s opposition lightly.
“We know from last season it’ll be a difficult game,” said Karanka in his pre-match press conference.
“We have to avoid the risk of complacency thinking we’ve been playing well or that Hull have injuries. We have to think it’ll be a tough game and focus on us.”
The Spaniard was complementary about his side’s recent away performances but admitted that Boro need to start picking up points, especially at home.
“We have to focus on the way we are performing as if we can play against really good teams and should have won, we have to keep playing in the same way at home.”
Team News
Karanka confirmed that full back George Friend is the only injury concern ahead of the game, stating that “the rest of the players are ready.”
That means defender Daniel Ayala could return after a recent ankle injury.
Hull striker Dieumerci Mbokani will start his three-game ban after being sent off again Newcastle on Tuesday.
Fellow striker Abel Hernandez is an injury doubt, as is Shaun Maloney, however midfielder Ryan Mason could return after missing the Newcastle game though illness.
The Opposition
After winning the play-off final in May, Hull were dealt a detrimental blow when manager Steve Bruce left a month later.
To make matters worse the Tigers suffered several injuries over a terrible summer, which left them with only 13 fit players just three weeks before the start of the season.
For that reason, they were inevitably many people’s favourites to go straight back down to the Championship, however caretaker Mike Phelan guided his side to back-to -back victories over Leicester and Swansea at the start of the season.
Phelan was subsequently rewarded with the job on a full-time basis, yet things have been much trickier since then.
After taking seven points from their opening four games, Hull went on to lose their next seven, which included a resounding 6-1 thumping away at Bournemouth.
A vital victory over Southampton at the start of the month may have stopped the rot for Phelan’s men, however a 3-0 defeat against Sunderland and a draw at home to West Brom has seen the Tigers slip back into the bottom three.
One To Watch
Robert Snodgrass
The Scottish international has been Hull’s talisman this season, with six goals in all competitions.
Snodgrass scored the winner on the opening day of the season against Leicester and salvaged a point with a late free-kick away at Burnley.
He is a threat from set-plays and can arrive late in the box to add an extra goal threat.
Last Time Out
Middlesbrough 1 Hull City 0 18/3/2016
David Nugent’s last minute winner gave Boro a vital three points over their promotion rivals when the sides met at the Riverside earlier this year.
With ten games remaining in the Championship promotion race, just one point separated the two sides ahead of the Friday night fixture.
Both sides cancelled each other out until stoppage time when Albert Adomah’s cross was nodded home by Nugent, sending the Riverside into raptures.
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