Middlesbrough travel to Watford this weekend aiming to protect their position at the top of the Championship table. The leaders, who have 28 points from 14 games, face a Hornets side sitting 20th in a Saturday afternoon clash at Vicarage Road. Their record of eight wins, four draws and two losses has them one point clear at the summit, a lead they will be keen to extend against a team in the lower reaches.
Michael Carrick's side saw their unbeaten run end with a 2-0 defeat at Wrexham last time out. That result interrupted a strong sequence of three wins and a draw from their previous four league matches, a run that included a 5-1 thrashing of Bolton and a 3-0 home victory over Charlton. Their recent form over the last five games stands at three wins, one draw and one loss, with the 2-0 loss at Wrexham on Wednesday 4 November preceded by the 3-0 win over Charlton on Saturday 31 October and the 5-1 victory at Bolton on Friday 23 October. Overall this season, they have scored 30 goals while conceding 19, giving them a goal difference of plus eleven.
Team news and selection issues
Top scorer Will Lankshear, who has 13 goals this season, is a doubt for the trip with a minor muscle problem. Should the striker be unavailable, David Strelec is expected to lead the line for Boro. The visitors' likely lineup includes goalkeeper Vitek with a back four of Ayling, Rav van den Berg, Matt Clarke and Lukas Engel.
Watford will be without midfielder Hector Kyprianou, who serves a one-match suspension after accumulating five yellow cards. Martin Payero could be recalled to their midfield, with the hosts' defence potentially featuring Ravaglia in goal behind a line of Traoré, Keben, Pollock and Bola.
Context and the challenge ahead
Middlesbrough's one-point lead at the summit is under constant pressure, making a positive response to the Wrexham setback vital. Their next assignment after this is a home game against Preston, part of a demanding fixtures schedule. The last meeting between these sides was a comprehensive 5-1 victory for Boro at the Riverside back in April. They will look to repeat that performance when they travel to face Watford on Saturday 7 November.
Saturday's match kicks off at 3pm as Middlesbrough look to reassert their authority at the top of the standings.
